


An Earthborn Asgardian

by Kefalion



Series: All About Harry [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, The Avengers (2012), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Crossover, Crossover Pairings, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-02-22
Updated: 2014-04-28
Packaged: 2017-12-09 04:51:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 41,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/770175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kefalion/pseuds/Kefalion
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the Battle of New York, Loki tries to escape. Thor asks him why he would try when he know he has lost. Reluctantly Loki tells him about Harry. This is a Harry Potter, The Avengers Crossover. The main pairing is Harry x Loki. The story will explore how their relationship has shaped them, and how it will come to shape the universe. Pending Rewrite because of Thor: Ragnarok.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Revelation

The Tesseract had been stopped, Tony had managed to dispose of the nuke and make it out in time, the portal closing behind him. The battle was over and they had won. It should be a time of joy, but looking around at the devastation Thor felt weary. Since coming to Midgard he hadn't had as much as a moment of rest. Between battles, fighting with the people who were supposed to be his allies and worrying about his brother there had not been any time to relax.

Thinking about Loki only made his frown deepen. A highly unpleasant task waited now. He would have to face his brother and make certain that Loki was punished for his actions. Despite what had happened between them Thor still loved his brother and facing the hateful creature he had become was hardly something he looked forward to.

Together with the other members of the Avengers initiative he made his way to the top floor of Stark Tower where his brother had last been spotted, getting beaten by the Hulk. When they entered Loki was trying to crawl to his feet, using the low set of stairs that ran through the room as support. His breathing was laboured, his robes and armour were dust covered, his usually slicked-back hair was in disarray and a he had smudges of blood and bruises on his face. He looked like what he was; defeated.

Loki turned his face and noticed the six people standing over him, their expressions hard and their weapons raised. He gave a small, sardonic grin looking at Iron Man.

"I'll take that drink now, if it's all the same to you," he said, acknowledging that he had lost.

He was met by steely silence. They did not lower their weapons; not trusting the infamous trickster to not have another card up his sleeve, no matter how defeated he may appear. And one more card up his sleeve was exactly what he had. The image of Loki on the floor flickered and disappeared as if it had never been there.

"You will always fall for that no matter how many times I do it, won't you?" Loki's dry comment came from behind them.

Thor whirled around, Mjolnir raised, seeing his brother standing at the balcony. He looked just as haggard as the illusion, but he was smiling a bit wistfully at them. It was strange, if he had been able to sneak past them why would he call attention to himself?

"I understand that you have to bring me in, what I have done here today..." he trailed off. "But I can't allow you to do so." With that the self exiled Asgardian turned to run.

"Oh no, you don't," Tony muttered, jumping into the air, taking off after the fleeing Asgardian and the rest of them were quick to follow. The Hulk got to Loki first, grabbing him in his hand, holding him tight and making ready to take out the puny god once more, looking forward to squishing him into pulp.

"Thor!" Loki cried in a shrill tone, pleading for help, and before the Hulk could harm him further the God of Thunder placed a hand on the huge green creature's arm, stopping it from doing anything but growl at the man in his fist.

"You brought this upon yourself brother. You cannot flee from justice. You have lost today. Your army is gone, as is the sceptre and you no longer control the Tesseract. Why would you try to escape?"

"I made a promise," Loki said a in a barely audible voice, "and for all my shortcomings - yes I will admit that they are many," he added as he was given several glares, "I never break a promise unless I can help it. It was what brought me here in the first place."

"What do you speak of? You told me that you wished to rule Midgard as a king! You showed such ambitions long before that and now you speak of a promise? Who was this promise made to and in what purpose?"

Loki swallowed thickly. "Harry," was all he said.

"Who is this Harry you speak of?"

"I do not wish to speak about it, least of all with you." He managed to give a harsh sneer, despite the position he was in.

"Yeah that's great," Tony said dryly not impressed in the least. "However we don't much care about what you've promised anyone. You're not getting away, so I suppose you'll have to break your word. We beat you good. Admit to it."

Loki stared at Tony for a long moment, before he visibly deflated, hanging limply in the Hulk's hand. "Alright Mr. Stark, I yield."

"No more tricks?" asked Natasha, keeping the gun she had in the hand which wasn't holding the sceptre pointed at the dark-haired demigod.

"No more tricks."

"We'll see about that," Clint muttered, not about to trust the Asgardian. He, if any of the assembled heroes, hated the dark-haired god. He would never forgive Loki for what he had forced him to do, for how he had invaded his mind.

Loki smirked. "You really do have heart."

Clint scowled and tensed his bow a bit farther.

"And a sharp mind as well," Loki continued. "I promise that there will be no more tricks from me…  _today."_ He said this with empathise on today after a brief pause, not earning any trust. The trickster might have been smirking but then he cowered as the Hulk roared anew in his face, spittle flying.

"Then you'll follow my commands, you'll return with me to face the judgement of our father?"

"Hold on a sec right there. You're saying that you'll just whisk away with him?" Tony protested. "No, no, no. His crimes were against Earth and I'll be damned if he doesn't get sentenced by us."

Steve placed a hand on Tony's shoulder holding him off and facing Thor. "Will he be judged?"

"Aye."

"Will he have to answers for what he has done?"

"He will."

"Will his punishment be suitable for his crimes?"

"I will make certain that his sentence corresponds with his actions."

"Then I agree with you."

"Cap! You can't be serious!" Tony was not happy with this and he could see that Agent Barton was in agreement with him. "And I can't believe I'm saying this, but Fury will not stand for it!"

"Loki is of Asgard and he will face Asgardian justice."

"Right," Agent Romanoff intervened. "That can all be decided later. For now he's back in custody."

"Fine, we'll dump him off for Fury to handle. Then we're going for Shawarma. No excuses!"

.:oOo:.

It was decided that Thor would be allowed to bring his brother home. For that they needed the Tesseract, as the previous means of transportation, the Bifrost, remained unavailable. Over the two weeks it took to finalize everything Loki attempted to escape no less than five times. Each time he was stopped.

The day before they would depart Thor rushed into the cell where his brother was kept. Tony had just informed him that he and Steve had prevented another escape attempt. Thor was fed up with it. He needed answers and Loki was going to provide them, whether he wanted to or not.

"Why do you continue this farce?" Thor asked exasperated. "We both know that your powers are bond, and even were it not for the shackles, you still wouldn't be able to use them. Your magic is temporarily depleted, don't think that I do not recognize the signs; I've known you your whole life! There is no way you could run and yet you have continued to try. Tell me why!"

"Why do you care so much?" Loki sneered. "I am not your brother nor have I given you any reason to care about me over the last year. I am a criminal, a usurper, a trickster, a monster," he paused his tirade and added more softly, "a failure."

"No," Thor could feel his anger evaporating, "that is not true. I may not agree with what you've done, but no matter whom you were born to or what you do, you will always be my brother. We've grown up together, we've fought together, we've laughed and we've cried together. Such bonds are impossible to erase. I care about you. Can you not see that, Loki? Won't you tell me about Ha..?"

Loki snorted. "You claim to care and yet you fail to recall the name I told you, not that it surprises me. "

"Tell me, please," Thor pleaded gently.

Loki sighed, rubbing his wrists where the magic-inhibiting-shackled bound him. "Do you remember that magic used to be more common on Midgard then even in Asgard? Do you remember the stories mother… no," he shook his head lightly, " _Frigga_ used to tell us about the great civilisation which magic enabled here on Earth? That they had communities which were grand enough to rival the greatest cities of Asgard?"

Thor was saddened that Loki wouldn't call Frigga mother. He had been able to accept that Odin had lost the right to be called father, but their mother had always treated them equally. Though it must have been her siding with the Allfather that made Loki take out his bitterness on her as well.

"I remember," he murmured, looking into his brothers eyes which were softer than he had seen them in a long time, perhaps ever. "Though I do not follow. What has this to do with anything? The magical population of Midgard is gone. It was gone before you and I ever set foot on this world. The wizards are gone and so are the descendants of the Asgardians who married them."

"Ah yes, the half Asgardians who weren't allowed to the realm of gods, lacking immortality as they were. It's appropriate that you should bring them up. You see they are not gone, just hidden."

Thor was surprised by this revelation, but he kept quiet, allowing his brother to continue.

"Just as people on Asgard shun me for having magic, not thinking me a proper warrior, so did the majority of the humans shunned the wizards. They burnt magic wielders at the stake simply for being what they were." Loki fell silent, looking down at his fingernails.

"I still do not understand what you're trying to tell me."

The dark-haired male sighed. It was not easy for him to speak like this, laying bare his emotions, but he realized that if he wanted to reach his goal this was what he'd have to do. "I saw myself in them. You were always away seeking honourable battle. Neither you, nor your parents nor your friends understood me. Nor did you care to."

"But…"

"No! That is the truth!" Loki said harshly, the anger he'd felt for so long flaming up once more. "You were much too self-absorbed to see it. You did not notice me. I was but a convenience, there to get you out of trouble when the need be and then left to be forgotten." Loki thought about saying no more. He didn't want to tell the Odinson anything. He thought about his goal again and forced himself to calm. "Hearing the stories about the wizards of Midgard gave me hope," he continued, "but how was I to be friends with someone who would die while I just kept on living? What I did was that I created three objects. Three powerful objects that if united would have the potential of awakening the dormant Asgardian blood in a wizard. If they were ever united by one person I would be alerted and I would return to see if I thought the person was worthy of being a companion to me."

"That person you mentioned," Thor said, beginning to understand.

"Yes," Loki nodded in confirmation, "though it did not work out quite as I had planned. When I arrived seven years ago, as soon as I was alerted by the spells I had set, I found that the blood had already been woken. While I created the items I subconsciously added in them a key. To reawaken the immortal blood of… your people you had to have certain characteristics that I desired and valued. Harry possessed them all, that combined with the raw magical power in his core started a process which over five years changed him into a full-blooded Asgardian."

"That sounds, incredible. Why didn't you ever tell anyone?"

Loki snorted. "What was I supposed to say? That I had granted power to an unknown individual, to someone who belonged to a people which had been exiled before ever being welcomed on the world of their ancestors?"

"You should have let everyone know that wizards still existed. You should have revealed your experiment and Harry."

"I was young when I created the Hallows, yet another mistake of mine is what you all would say."

Thor shook his head but Loki did not see it. His eyes were glazed as he appeared to be seeing something far away. "And I just couldn't do that to Harry," he added in a soft whisper.

"You care about him, don't you?"

"Of course I do. He possesses all the qualities I valued; courage, strength, honesty, intelligence, cunning and kindness. You can't believe how much he has been through while still being so young. He is not ready for this new life that I ultimately cursed him with and until he is I could not allow anyone on Asgard to know of him."

Thor was surprised by Loki. His brother wasn't acting condescending, well not as he had learned to expect during their time on Earth. He had a soft gleam in his eyes, something Thor had only seen when Loki interacted with his pet as a child.

"There is more to this. You love him, don't you?"

Loki snapped his head up and stared fixedly at him, trying to read the blond man. "Don't judge me for that, Thor. Judge me for my stupid decisions, my ruthlessness and the lives I've taken, but don't you dare look down on me for loving him."

Thor was surprised at the revelation that Loki loved another male; for by the way he turned defensive he made it obvious that it was not brotherly love. Same sex relationships weren't largely accepted on Asgard. There was a lot of prejudice, although no one would say anything directly it would be frowned upon. It would not endear Loki to the people and his partner would have to face the same prejudice. He could understand wanting to protect the one you loved from that fate.

"I'm saddened that you think so little of me," Thor said and smiled a little. "I'm happy for you. Does he feel the same way?"

"I believe so, yes." The smile that accompanied those words was beautiful and it made Loki look like his younger self. For Thor it was like looking back in time to a simpler time, a happier time, a time he wished with all his heart could return. He knew that things could never go back to the way they had been, but perhaps things could turn for the better.

"Will you then tell me how all this madness came to be? After the battle you alluded that a promise you made to Harry lead you here."

"Yes. There were many reasons for my actions leading up to the events which would have been your coronation. I will admit that I was driven by ambition and jealousy. Odin always favoured you. He said that we were equal. Still actions weigh heavier than words. He told us that we were both born to be kings; still only one of us could take the throne. I should have seen it sooner. It was always going to be you."

"Loki-"

"I could have lived with that, had he not awoken the aspiration in my heart, had he not said that it was a possibility. Then there was you; rash, self-absorbed and arrogant. A great warrior does not make a great ruler. In your pride you would have laid Asgard in ruins. In the end the deciding factor was Harry."

Thor frowned.

"I see what you are thinking, and I will say right away that in no way did Harry encourage me to do anything. He will most probably give me the same treatment as that stupid green creature did once he finds out. It was I who hoped that if I were to ascend to the throne I could shape Asgard into a place where he would be accepted, where  _we_  would be accepted. Ultimately all my plans were forgotten, overshadowed by the revelation of my parentage. I wasn't who I'd been led to believe. I was the son of monsters, not a prince of Asgard. I allowed the resentment I felt both for my birth father and the man I'd called father all my life consume me, leading us to the point where I let go of Gugnir, falling off the Bifrost. As I fell through the ether I remembered the promise I made to Harry. I had promised him that no matter what I would never abandon him, I would always return to him and I would never stop loving him."

"Oh, brother."

Silent tears were running down both their cheeks as they relived their memories, and neither of them bothered with trying to hide them. Loki had begun this confession with a hidden agenda, but even he, being the trickster and lie smith could not stop the emotions welling up as he thought about the man he had come to love.

"I fell through space for a long time. Time is a relative thing and I experienced an eternity of loneliness and self-hatred. I would have gone insane if I did not have my memories of Harry to remind me that there was still something worth living for. Out there I came in contact with an ancient entity of power. In my desperation to return to Midgard, to keep my promise to Harry I entered an agreement which I never should have. I was honour bound to do my part and I fear the consequences that will follow of my actions."

"What did you do, Loki?"

"You stopped me, so until they find another way to reach their goals, I will remain the only one in mortal peril. I will come back to Asgard with you without further struggle; I just ask that I be allowed to see Harry one more time."

"If he can come here I see no reason as to why not."

Loki smiled faintly. "Thank you."

.:oOo:.

"So what you are saying is that your brother, the asshole we had to bring down, did all of this because he is in love with an Englishman?" Tony refrained from gaping at the large blond god, hiding his incredulity behind sarcasm.

"I suppose you could see it that way."

"And you want to bring this very powerful wizard, turned god, here to talk with Loki? How is that not a bad idea?"

"Loki always keeps his promises and he said that he would come peacefully were he allowed to see Harry."

"Oh, that's all good then. Great. Well I guess a prisoner is allowed a last supper, why not hide the perfect escape tool in the burrito?"

"Burrito?" Thor echoed.

"Never mind that," Bruce said. All of the Avengers were gathered to discuss the latest development. "I'm not too sure about this either. To present an ally to Loki like that does not seem like the best idea to me."

"There you go! Dr. Banner is with me," Tony said smugly.

"What do we know of this man?" Steve asked. "What kind of person is he?"

"Sir?" Jarvis, Tony's AI suddenly interrupted the conversation.

"Yeah, what's up?"

"You asked me to hack into the security systems, surveying Loki's cell. Less than one minute ago every defence was bypassed by a man. Right now he is talking with Loki."

"What? Bring it up on the big screen."

They all watched the image that came to life. It showed the small, austere room in which the trickster was kept. Loki was seated on a cot and next to him sat another man. At first glance he looked a lot like Loki. He had black hair, pale skin, high cheekbones and a straight aristocratic nose.

Then you went on to notice the differences. The other man had bright green eyes, was marginally shorter and his face was not as long as Loki's. He wore completely normal clothes, dressed in a faded pair of blue jeans and a dark red hoodie. He looked completely ordinary, except for his handsome features and muscled frame.

The Avengers watched with avid interest as the two appeared to be talking, but they couldn't hear a word.

"Jarvis, sound please."

"There appears to be a malfunction with the audio. All systems are go and we are recording, but there is nothing to record."

"Huh." Tony frowned.

"Magic," Natasha supplied.

"Yeah, I get that, thank you Ms. Rushman," Tony grumbled, choosing to use the fake name Natasha had given him when she pretended to be a simple assistant.

"So shall we suppose that this is Harry?" Steve asked.

"I think we can be pretty sure of that, Cap. Jarvis, what can you find on this guy?"

"Searching. Name; Harry James Potter. Born; July 31st 1980 in London, England, to parents James and Lily Potter. Records show that he lived with his maternal Aunt in Surry from age one to seventeen. His school records stop the year he turned eleven. It says that he went to a boarding school in Scotland from then on. I can later find records of work with the British and American government, as well as the British army."

"Alright," Tony was trying not to sound impressed; he didn't want to like anyone who was involved with the mega douchebag, called Loki. "See what SHIELD's got on him."

"Harry James Potter, also known as the Boy-Who-Lived and The Chosen One."

"Chosen one? That's a tough title to live up to," Bruce mumbled.

"He is the world's now living most powerful wizard," the AI continued. "He defeated a dark wizard who was trying to take over the world and eradicate all of the non-magical population at age seventeen. Since then he has worked for the magical government, as both an ambassador and an agent. He is known to be honourable and brave. He is one of the wealthiest citizens of England, has the custody of his godson Edward Remus Lupin."

"Thank you, Jarvis," Tony mumbled and flicked through documents about Harry on a holographic pad. "Donations, fieldwork, oh and have you had a look at that!" Tony flicked up an image on the big screen, embedding it so that they could still see the two dark-haired men conversing in the cell. The image showed Fury and Harry together on the bridge of the Helicarrier, shaking hands. "So, what do you say to all that?" Tony asked after a few moments of silence.

"That matters could go either way from here," Captain America answered, "and we should not rely on hope to decide the outcome."


	2. The Return

After Thor left, Loki remained in the cell, sitting unmoving on the cot. He stared straight ahead at the plain, gray wall, trying not to think. All he had to do now was to wait. He would give Thor some time to keep his end of the bargain. He knew the big lout would do so if at all possible; he was too filled with honour and belief in the good in people not to.

After their little conversation there was no way Thor wouldn't believe that he wished to redeem himself and that he could be redeemed. In some way it was also true. He hadn't wanted to do most of the things he had ended up doing, but the reasons behind the actions remained the same and it meant that he could not truly regret the path he had chosen.

He still resented both men who were supposed to be his fathers, the one who had fathered him and deemed him unworthy and the one who had taken up the role but only committed in part, his actions towards them would have remained the same should he get the chance to redo everything. He also strongly believed that the people of Midgard wanted to follow, perhaps not a man who openly told them that they were inferior, but nevertheless they looked for leader figures and more often than not failed to think for themselves. Besides that he was still willing to do anything for Harry.

Harry. If they tried to find information about him that would also play in Loki's favour. After all, Harry was to his people what these Avengers were to the rest of the Earth. They would believe in Harry's honour and they would be right to do so. Harry had morals, more so than he himself could ever dream of having and any trust placed in him would be treated with utter most care. The good thing, which he was slightly smug about, was that he had gained Harry's trust and loyalty first, whatever alliance he forged with the Avengers what they had would come first.

Loki allowed himself a miniscule smirk as he laced his fingers together in his lap. He knew it wouldn't be long before Harry found out what had been going on, with or without the involvement of his brother and his band of wayward heroes.

His plan to keep the wizard out of the picture would have bought him no more than a month's worth of time and it had passed now. Harry would be getting back into play and those who thought that they could stop him from doing what he wanted would be in for a surprise. His  _Deathly Hallows_  had not been activated without reason.

.:oOo:.

It was an ordinary day at the British Ministry of Magic in London, England, simply a Wednesday morning in mid May with typically drizzly weather. A day when reports were to be filed, boring meetings were to be attended and cases about a newly discovered breed of magical creatures would be filed in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. All in all it wasn't a day with the promise of any particular excitement.

The witches and wizards of Earth's magical communities had not been involved in the showdown that had happened in New York City just a week earlier or any of the events leading up to it. Though they took great pleasure in gossiping over disasters, they had a tendency of burying their heads in the sand and ignoring any situation that shook their idea of how things should be. Wizarding Britain was proof of this in how they desperately had tried to cling on to the notion that You-Know-Who wasn't back during the Second War. Ignoring disasters and focusing on the heroes; now that describes what the average wizard and witch likes to do.

Knowing this, it is no wonder that there was a stir when one of the fireplaces in the Atrium flared up in green flames emitting one Harry Potter; an apparently very angry Harry Potter who looked like he came directly from a battlefield. The man who a bit more than a decade earlier had defeated the most feared wizard to ever wreck havoc on the British Isles had grown to become an intimidating and admired figure and seeing him like this intrigued both one and two Ministry Employees.

Tall and broad shouldered with almost unearthly grace the man was a sight to behold as he marched through the Atrium towards the golden elevators without as much as casting a glance at the desk where visitors to the Ministry were required to register their wands.

It was common knowledge that Potter had declined the position as Head Auror in favour of quitting the Aurors all together and jumping between different facilities, giving his services to the causes he deemed most urgent of his assistance, leaving the position as Head of the Auror Office to his good friend Ronald Weasley.

But no matter that Potter didn't hold an official position in the Ministry, he came and went as he pleased and no one in their right mind would think about stopping him, especially not as he stepped into the elevator, eyes blazing with magic, no longer obscured by glasses and torn, black robes billowing behind him in a non-existent wind.

The golden gates of the elevator slid shut and the silence which had held while Potter marched through the hall was broken as people started whispering in excited voices.

"Was that really..?" a young assistant from the Department of Magical Games and Sports asked without directing the question to anyone in particular. Potter did not often make public appearances, making the sight of him a treat even so many years after the end of the war.

"Yes. That was Harry Potter," an older man who was standing next to him said, nodding sagely. "I've shaken his hand, I have," he added, a smug smile on his face.

"Wow..!" the assistant said, getting ready to interrogate the man of the event, and many who were standing nearby listened closely.

In another corner of the atrium the conversation was rather different as a few Aurors were gathered. "He looks like he's been through hell," one of them said, "reminds me of the Battle of Hogwarts."

"Yes," another nodded. "I heard a rumour that the Minister had requested something of him. That was about a month ago. It doesn't look like it went well."

"I've heard the same. Merlin, I wouldn't want to be Shacklebolt right now."

"Me neither, mate. Do you think we ought to tell Weasley?"

"Couldn't hurt. He's been talking about Potter a few times, apparently he haven't been able to talk to him. He will want to know that he's back."

.:oOo:.

Harry was not happy. Not. At. All.

He was tired, he was frustrated and he was quite frankly, pissed off. He stood in the elevator, tapping his foot impatiently. He was thankfully alone in the elevator so that he wouldn't have to keep up any appearances; he was free to show exactly how very irritated he was. Not that he cared much about coming off as nice in his present condition, but that's beside the point. One other bonus of being alone was the fact that no one would stop the elevator allowing him to ride all the way up to level one and the Minister's office without pause. Harry's current mood was all Kingsley's fault and the man would soon know it.

The door slid open after the cool female voice announced that they had arrived at: "Level one, Minister for Magic and Support Staff." Harry stepped out onto the thick, purple carpet that covered the floors on this level and walked briskly down the corridor almost paving down Percy Weasley in the process.

"Harry!" the man, who had fulfilled his ambition and become Senior Undersecretary of the Minister, said indignantly.

"Sorry," Harry muttered, not in the mood for pleasantries, least of all with Percy Weasley, who although he had gotten his act together at the end of the war, never would stop being… well Percy. "I need to talk with Shacklebolt."

"The Minister is busy, you'll have to make an appointment and come back later," Percy said, pompous as always.

"Weasley," Harry growled. "I don't care what he is doing; he may be dying for all I care. I will talk with Shacklebolt and I will do it now. Get out of my way or I will make you." Harry pushed pasts the red headed, bespectacled man, barely remembering to mind his superhuman strength.

Percy remained standing there; gaping at Harry's back for a moment "You can't do that!"

"Watch me!" Harry resisted the urge to flip Percy off, ignoring the man as he began to shout again.

Harry threw up the door of mahogany wood with the small golden plaque, letting anyone with the ability to read know that this was the office of the Minister for Magic, slamming it shut behind him and adding a couple of locking- and privacy spells with a simple wave of his wand, the enchantments not taking any of his concentration from his true target.

"Shacklebolt!" he roared, and the large dark-skinned man sitting by a desk jumped slightly.

Before Harry's arrival Kinsley had been bored half to death, going over the meeting minutes from the most recent gathering of the International Confederation of Wizards. He wouldn't have bothered doing it if it wasn't for Percy Weasley, that man was a slave driver. However the Senior Undersecretary was also the one person who was responsible for making sure that nothing was overlooked in all the administration the Minister was acquired to do. If Kingsley knew that he would be required to do so much paper work he might have thought twice about accepting the position as Minister. He had however no one but himself to blame as he had campaigned to be re-elected and won.

Now though, taking in the sight of the man he had watched grow into one of the world's most powerful wizards in magical-, economical- and political-power, standing in front of him seething, knowing that he had played a part in making Harry like that, however unknowingly, he would gladly go back to being bored.

That he had been compromised was an embarrassment, and he had managed to keep it under wraps. No one knew about it, and he was dreading having to tell Harry. "Harry," Kingsley said in his smooth, deep voice, not letting it show that he was slightly intimidated by the younger man. He was the Minister for Merlin's sake and he was a war hardened Auror, a man twenty five years his junior should not be frightening. "What can I do for you today?"

"You can tell me about the stroke of madness which must have overcome you when you asked me to go to Borneo."

"Oh, that."

"Yes!  _That_!" Without waiting for Kingsley to get a chance to explain himself, Harry began to rant. "You shipped me off to Borneo, telling me that their Ministry has requested aid with a delicate situation and that I was the best man for the job. So I arrived and not a single person spoke English. After some failed attempts at sign language they preceded to carter me around the island in an attempt as far as I understood to find someone who could translate." Harry paused briefly and dragged his hands down his face. "Why hasn't someone invented a translation spell?"

"Well, the translators' guild has been working against that for years, you see they-"

"Kingsley! Not the point!" Harry breathed out audible through his nose. "When they finally brought in a muggle to translate, it turned out that no one had any idea as to why I was there! But here is the best part, upon my arrival all magic on the island started acting weird, meaning that there was no possible way for me to use magical transportation to get away from there and now they did have a situation they needed help with!"

"I see. Were you able to help them?"

"No!"

"No? Then how come you are back?"

"An hour ago the fluctuations just stopped; all magic working like normal again. But until then things only got worse, forcing us to live like muggles. Do you have any idea how dependant wizards are on magic?"

"Well…"

"They can't do a single thing without it! Nothing worked! They couldn't cook, they couldn't travel, they couldn't communicate. There was no chance to get a shower or any clean clothes. They couldn't enter their own bloody ministry!"

"Oh."

"Oh," Harry repeated through clenched teeth. "Oh! Is that all you have to say?" Harry was yelling again. He hadn't slept in nearly seventy-two hours, and he hadn't gotten much rest before then either. He was dirty, he was hungry, he was irritated and he wanted answers.

"Harry, you might want to sit down for the next part," Kingsley spoke slowly, his voice still smooth and calm.

Harry's eyes narrowed in suspicion, but nevertheless he sat down in the chair on the opposite side of Kingsley's large, cherry wood desk. "Does this have anything to do with the magical charges we could feel just before I departed?"

"Ehum well-"

"Kingsley!" Harry's patience was at an end.

"Yes, I believe so." The dark-skinned man ran a hand over his bald head. "Harry, in all honesty, I don't remember asking you to go to Borneo."

"What?" Harry blinked uncomprehendingly.

"It wasn't until the next day when I looked through my files that I saw that I'd sent you there. By then it was too late to let you know that something was amiss. I tried to contact you and because of the disturbances in the island's magic it wasn't possible. Not even by owl post, as I am sure you've discovered yourself."

Harry nodded. "They didn't use owls on Borneo, but yes, I discovered the hard way that no messenger birds could leave the island. But I'm digressing." Harry adapted a thoughtful frown. "There is something seriously wrong here," he mused, ignoring his emotions in favour of the analytical thinking he had been taught to do during Auror training. "Are you saying that someone put an Imperius on you?"

"No, it wasn't the Imperius Curse, though it was something similar to it."

"Do you remember at all who did it?"

Kingsley rose from behind the desk and began to pace through the office. "No."

Harry's eyes narrowed. "You haven't told anyone about this have you?"

The Minister slumped back against the closest wall. "No I haven't."

Harry frowned, tapping his fingers against the desk. "That's highly irresponsible of you, Minister. You should have told Ron at least. There's been a breach of security and our country could be in danger."

The dark-skinned man shook his head. "No, I do not believe so."

"What?"

"Listen to me, Harry. I have a theory."

"Alright. I'll indulge you."

"Good, thank you. About the man who, ahem, attacked me. I only remember a few colours; black, green a bit of gold and glowing blue."

"Hmm. That is not very helpful, though I have a feeling it should mean something to me."

Kingsley jerked his head up from where he had been resting it in his hands. "That's what I was afraid of."

"It is?"

"Not exactly, but it's another point in favour of what I fear; another point in favour of my theory. This wasn't an attack on the British Ministry. This breach of security was only in the purpose of getting you away."

"You believe that it was all about me? Really, Kingsley?" The young wizard scowled.

"You underestimate your own importance. I believe you always have. I have come to realize that dark-wizards reason in a certain way when it comes to you. They see you as a threat. You are admittedly a front figure and your reputation precedes you wherever you go. When a wizard is planning something it is no wonder that they would want you gone, and it seems whoever was behind this succeeded in that endeavour."

Harry was silent for a moment, and then he nodded. "Hearing this from you, I can only believe the same. But there is something that you are not telling me. What were those energy charges? Why did they want me gone?" Harry breathed in. "What happened while I was gone?"

"An alien invasion?"

Harry looked sternly at the Minister. "Are you asking or telling me?"

"Telling you?"

Harry sighed. "Damn it, Shacklebolt! Whatever happened, happened. Just tell me already!"

"Sorry. It has been a bit of a mess, although only the American Ministry got involved at all, besides my little stint which was probably orchestrated by the man who led the invasion." Kingsley moved a stack of paper to the side, stalling. "You know about the Tesseract, correct?"

"Yes." Harry nodded.

"Then you know that the American Ministry decided to leave it in the hands of an organization called SHIELD, contending to have spies in place to observe any development. A little less than a month ago the Tesseract was activated and through a portal a man appeared. With the help of a sceptre connected to the Tesseract he took control of several agents and scientists. It works similarly to the Imperius Curse."

"You believe he was the one who made you send me away?"

"Yes, I do."

"And do the colours match?"

Kingsley scratched his chin, thinking back to the day when he had ordered Harry to Borneo. "Now that you mention it, yes they do. The man dresses in black, green and gold and the sceptre, like the Tesseract has a blue glow."

"Hmm. Is the situation resolved? Has the man been apprehended?"

"Yes."

"Good, I guess." Harry slumped in the chair, his energy drained. If the situation was under control he could afford to relax. He really needed sleep, a change of clothes, a shower and something to eat, preferably something English. Bangers and mash for example would be lovely. No more strange fish or exotic fruits for him, thank you very much.

Kingsley recognizing that the risk of Harry cursing him had been lowered, relaxed as well. "If you allow me to say so, you look like hell Harry, you should get some sleep. Get back here tomorrow and we'll talk. I'll have more information for you then."

"Yeah, I suppose that sounds like a good idea. Sorry for barging in here like that. It's just; these last few weeks haven't been all that great for me."

"I understand and I can't blame you. I'm just glad you didn't make any more use of your wand besides the initial locking charms."

Harry chuckled weakly. "Am I really that bad?"

"It is not for no reason that Loki wanted you out of the way during the invasion."

Harry froze. His eyes were open wide. "What did you just say?" he asked breathlessly.

"That it's not without reason that evil magic wielders prefer if you are not around to-"

"No not that! What was the name you said?"

Kingsley frowned, Harry appeared to know something. "Loki," he repeated, taking care to pronounce the name.

"Oh, Merlin." Harry had gone white as a sheet and looked about ready to pass out, his breathing was shallow and he was gripping the edge of Kingsley's desk hard enough for his knuckles to look like they were about to cut through his skin and for the wood to groan in protest. "No," he whispered.

"Harry?" the Minister said Harry's name gently. The man must indeed know something.

"Just give me a moment, please," Harry said weakly.

Kingsley nodded although the other wizard couldn't see him as his eyes were closed. The Minister could recognize that Harry was using some form of meditation to centre himself.

Right now he wished he knew more about the Asgardians and what had happened both in New Mexico the previous year as well as last week in New York. Perhaps he should have a talk with the American Minister. Parson was a reasonable woman. He could ask to see their reports on the matter. If Harry was involved it was likely to end up concerning the whole of Britain in one way or another.

Harry opened his eyes again. He looked calmer, some colour had returned to his face. "Loki as in the Norse God of Mischief and Magic?" He asked, there was a sharp edge to his voice, which Kingsley couldn't place.

"Yes."

"Loki as in son of Odin, brother of Thor, Prince of Asgard one of the Nine Realms?"

"Yes. You seem surprisingly well informed. How is it you know all this?"

"Do you remember that I took several extended periods of time off duty following graduating from the Auror Academy?"

"I do."

Harry had been behaving a bit strangely at times for several years after the war. That was what everyone thought was the cause. No one questioned it. He was doing as expected, becoming an Auror and later engaging in the protection against threats to the wizarding world on an international level. No one cared that he took time to himself every so often. He deserved it after all.

"I suppose the cat is out of the bag now so I might as well tell you, you might end up being the one who has to talk to media and so on."

"The cat?"

"Muggle expression. How do I say this?" Harry moved a hand through his hair, leaving the black mop even messier than it had already been and he had his head lowered, glancing down at his lap. "Oh, Loki, what have you done?" Harry muttered and Kingsley was not sure if he was supposed to hear it. Harry looked up and spoke in a louder voice. "How much do you know about the Deathly Hallows?"

Kingsley frowned. "They are a legend, a bedtime story. Beadle the Bard's tale about the three brothers featured them, if I remember correctly."

"All you've said is true, but that's not all. It's more than a legend. The items are real."

Now the Minister gasped. "Are you seriously saying that Death appeared on a river bank as three wizards used magic to escape death?"

Harry smiled, although it was a weak one. "No. That part, the origin of the Hallows is not true and neither does a person who acquires all three Hallows become the Master of Death." Harry moved his fingers absentmindedly, as if he was rotating a ring on one of his fingers. Kingsley couldn't see anything there though. "Something quite different happened."

"Happened?" Kingsley enquired, picking up on the small word.

"Yes, well... During the war, all three items; the Wand, the Resurrection Stone and the Invisibility Cloak ended up in my possession."

"Merlin, it just had to be you, didn't it?"

Harry shrugged as if to say, I suppose so. "I did not want them. I left the stone in the Forbidden Forest and I placed the Wand someplace safe, but that didn't matter. They had acknowledged me as their owner, a message was sent to their creator and at the same time I began to change."

Kingsley opened his mouth to ask more questions when they were interrupted by the door slamming open.

"Auror Weasley," the Minister said disapprovingly when he saw the tall redheaded man in the doorway, however he was ignored.

"Harry! You're back! I really need to talk to you. I've been trying to reach you but it's been bloody impossible. Loki, your-"

"Ron!" Harry interrupted the Head Auror's rambling, afraid that he'd say too much as he let his mouth go.

Ron's ears turned slightly red, and he got an abashed expression. "Oops, sorry."

"Yeah, well, Kingsley's already dropped the bomb so to speak. I've heard about the alien invasion."

"Oh, well then I- Did I interrupt something? Andrew and Lament told me that you were back and I thought that you'd want to know, but if Kingsley's already filled you in, then I guess I should go back and- You come talk to me once you're done here, 'kay? Sorry for interrupting, Minister Shacklebolt."

"I'll forgive you this time, Ron. I've forgiven a lot when Harry is concerned and I know I'll continue to do so."

"Great! Well then, I'll just go now. Sorry. Ehem. So sorry." Ron backed out of the office, spewing excuses all the way. When he shut the door the silence in the room grew oppressive.

Kingsley cleared his throat and moved to sit back down in his chair. "He's been worried about you. It took me a lot off effort to keep quiet about what had happened. I was ready to tell him if the situation changed, but I know you can take care of yourself and as far as I could tell there would be no use in making the situation worse by worrying your friends."

Harry looked disapprovingly at the Minister. "I am too tired to give you a hard time about this, but I don't like it, Kingsley. You should have told them. Something could have been very wrong."

"Yes, I can see that now. Before though, I felt so certain that keeping it to myself was the best idea. I can't see why."

Harry hummed, thinking. "It's Loki's doing," he said after a few moments. "He placed a sort of compulsion on you. Think of it as a form of the Confounds Charm. It was a spell making you think that you should not tell anyone about what had happened."

"How do you know this?"

The younger wizard shook his head. "I- He did want me away, but you don't need to worry about the community's safety. I-" Harry paused, his hands finding their way into his hair again. "Loki was the one who created the Hallows."

These words made Kingsley sit up straight in his chair, at attention. "What?"

"I know Loki. After I began to change he came and found me. He told me what was happening. He taught me how to control the powers I kept evolving. He was a good friend to me. Ron knows of him of course, so does Hermione. None of us has heard from him about a year though. Last I met him he was upset. I don't know what happened and hearing that he's led an invasion. I don't know what to think." Harry fell silent once more.

"This changes things. You knowing Loki makes things more complicated. You will involve yourself I trust?"

"Yes. I need to see him. If nothing else I need an explanation for his absence. I also believe that I could be able to make him speak. We were… close one might say. I'll talk with Ron, see what he knows and… you said that SHIELD is running the operation?"

Kingsley nodded.

"I'll get in contact with Director Fury then. If there's anything you need just let me know. For now I think I'll head home and sleep for thirty-six hours or so. I'll keep the Floo open if there is an emergency." With those words Harry stood and offered his hand. Kingsley took it, shaking it firmly.

"I'll see you soon, Minister."

"I'll hold you to that, Mr. Potter."

Harry left and Kingsley was left alone to attend to the paperwork again.

He sighed deeply. "I should just learn to appreciate boring stuff," he muttered and picked up the paper at the top of the pile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN 23rd June 2013:
> 
> Thank you everyone who has in some way shown their appreciation of this story. I liked it a lot myself and when I got confirmation that I was on to something I had to continue it.
> 
> I did a lot of thinking before I continued to write; trying to better understand the back-story and the plot as well as how to best show it to you. I think I've figured out a decent way. My only problem is that I tend to fill out with a lot of things before we get down to business, hence why there isn't much going on in this chapter. But I hope you enjoyed it anyway. We do get a glimpse of what Harry's been up to and why he wasn't involved with the Avengers from the start.
> 
> Stay tuned. There will be more to come.


	3. The Reunion

A Thursday in May, a normal day to most people, a day at the end of the school term, a day when you could look forward to your summer leave, or for some a day when you worked to plant the fields in preparation of the growing season. Not that it mattered to the people employed at SHIELD. What time of year it was had no importance, not beyond what certain days meant to the rest of the populace in anyhow.

When you were an employee of one of the widest reaching federal organizations in the USA you could forget about holidays tied to dates, summer vacation and the whole dream about a steady life with a wife, kids, dog and house. You got time off when there was little happening, which incidentally was never, but the people working for SHIELD knew this, and they were prepared to make sacrifices, otherwise they wouldn't be there.

Director Nicholas Fury was aboard the Helicarrier, seeing to the repairs and retrofits that were being made, his mere presence making people work more effectively and he could see over any administrative work from here as well as from a land bound office making it was a win-win situation.

He'd heard that Loki had once more tried to escape earlier that day and it bothered him. He didn't understand why the self-acclaimed god would try to do it when it had been proven again and again that it was no use.

Fury didn't like not knowing things. He didn't like not knowing what Loki had planned. It made him anxious. He didn't like unpredictability and Loki was unpredictable. He had some layers that were easy to interpret. The standard wanting power and an audience as Stark had pointed out, but the motives that lay hidden under the surface remained hidden to him.

"Director?"

"What is it, Agent Hill?"

"You have a call. Harry Potter."

"Patch it through."

Fury walked into a side office where he could speak privately with the man. He had worked with Potter a few times. He too was unpredictable, and much too powerful to make Fury feel comfortable. It was like dealing with a worse version of Stark, mixed with common sense, and the authority of a president, making it all that much harder to know what would happen next. But for all that Potter was as skilled as his top agents, had more political clout than he himself had, and nearly as much money as Stark he was just human, and that was a comfort after having been forced to deal with an extraterrestrial maniac.

"Fury," he answered gruffly.

"Hello, Director. I've heard that you've had a tough month."

"Yes." He refrained from saying anything like,  _what do you have to do with it?_  And  _why don't you have anything to do with it? We could have used some assistance._

"This is a mere call of courtesy, Director. I am on my way to see Loki and I thought you'd want to know."

"Excuse me?"

"Is he in the holding cells in New York, aboard the Helicarrier or elsewhere?"

"Potter," Fury growled, "what do you think you're doing?"

"Either, I'm fixing a mess or making one, don't know which yet."

"That's not very helpful."

"I know, but it's the way it is. Now will you give me the information I want or do I have to get someone to hack into your systems?"

"New York," the Director bit out, knowing that Potter could and would hack into their systems if he wasn't told.

"Thank you. I'll talk more to your later." The line went dead.

"Damn it," he muttered, walking out on the bridge again. "Hill, I need to get to NY, five minutes ago."

"Yes, sir. A quinjet is being prepared for you, the flight path confirmed; you can leave in two minutes."

.:oOo:.

Loki didn't have to wait long for Harry to show up. Only hours after he had spoken with Thor the silence in the cell was broken as a man appeared with a small crack. Loki didn't bother to berate Harry for using apparition when he could have travelled much smoother and arriving completely silent with a technique he has shown him years before as he usually did, he was too busy taking in the man with hungry eyes. It had been far too long since he last saw  _his_ Harry, and he was searching for anything that had changed about him.

There weren't many changes to be found. This was only to be expected with how slowly the wizard was aging since becoming an Asgardian. The hair was the same as always, inky black and stubbornly sticking up at strange angles, most evidently at the back of his head. Green eyes bright, scar clear on his brow and frame tall. Sadly he was dressed in a baggy red hoodie obscuring his finely toned torso, but that was just another thing that hadn't changed about Harry. The only change Loki could see was a couple of new wrinkles on his forehead, likely put there because of stress and worry - because of him.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Harry said in a menacing whisper, stalking closer, hand held out gripping his wand. He flicked the tool lazily in the direction of the surveillance system and Loki knew that he had in some manner made it dysfunctional, rendering their conversation at the very least partly private.

"Pardon?" he said innocently, smiling in a way that would seem honest if you didn't know Loki. Harry though could see the wicked glint in the trickster's eyes and he wasn't fooled.

"Do not play games with me! You! You!" He spluttered, while Loki just watched him calmly, enjoying the show. "You made sure that I was stuck on the other side of the planet so that I wouldn't interfere with your so called plan to take over my home world!"

"I did," Loki admitted without a hint of remorse.

Harry was seething. "May I ask why?"

"You are welcome to do so." Loki grinned, knowing that he was testing the wizard's patience and enjoy it ever so much.

"If there ever was a time for being serious, it is now. What happened? Why have you been gone? I-I…" though he still looked angry, Harry's expression had gone softer and he sat down next to Loki on the cot, their sides almost touching. "I missed you so much. I felt lost and I…"

"Hey!" Loki reached out and touched Harry's cheek, enjoying the feeling of warm skin under the pad of his thumb. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to leave you. Things happened and I. I made some bad decisions."

"I was worried about you. Can you understand that? Last we spoke you were so upset. I hardly recognized you. Then I heard about something going on in New Mexico, your brother was there, wasn't he?"

"Thor," Loki snorted, a flash of anger flickering in his eyes. "He…" the God of Mischief bit down on whatever words he had planned to say, shaking his head a little. "It doesn't matter now."

"I don't believe that. I think it matters. I think it's a very central part of the story, but explanations can wait." He smiled wistfully. "I thought that I would demand to know everything as soon as I saw you. I had planned to yell at you until you told me all you knew. I imagined slapping some sense into you. But I think you're already bruised enough and I find that now that I'm here with you it can wait. I'm just glad to see you again."

Harry wrapped his arms around Loki and buried his nose in his long hair, breathing in the familiar scent of frost and magic, feeling all the anxiety that had built over the last year leaving him as he exhaled. Loki answered to the embrace, pulling Harry closer.

"I've missed you too."

"If it had gone much longer you would have driven me to call for Heimdall," Harry murmured.

The words made Loki stiffen and push Harry away, giving him an angry look. "You wouldn't!" he growled, teeth bared in a snarl. "I've done everything so that you could grow into yourself without their interference and you would willingly draw their attention!"

"It was no longer about me! It was about you, and I would have done anything for you!"

"Would have?" Loki caught the past tense.

"Yes," Harry said so low that it was barely said at all. "Would have."

"And now?"

"I don't know. It's been a year and you- you tried to enslave mankind!"

"I had my reasons," Loki said in a resigned way.

"Then why?"

"I thought explanations could wait?" Loki gave a weak version of his usual smirk.

"Try again," the wizard said unfazed.

"I did it because of you."

"What!" Harry jumped up, staring wide eyed, his wand once more trained on the trickster. "You're lying! You cannot possibly blame this on me! I will not stand for it."

"So you cannot take the truth?" Loki sneered. "Like you couldn't take the truth the first time we met? Poor little Harry, it's always you isn't it? It's always you who are responsible for the deaths of others in one way or another and then you feel the need to step up and be the hero, or maybe the martyr."

Harry could only stare, breathing hard and feeling like he'd been punched in the stomach, getting the wind knocked out of him. He knew Loki could be cruel, but he hadn't expected it. Not now. Not to him. Not after what they shared. "You've changed," he said coldly, voice void of emotion.

"Yes. You do change when you learn that you are not the person you always thought you were. You change when you are cast out and when you are forced to accept allies you would never have considered unless you were truly desperate in your struggle to come home again." Loki was breathing hard as well. He had risen to his feet too, and he was looming over Harry, using the negligible height difference to his advantage.

"What? Loki?"

"I am no Odinson," he murmured, voice less harsh again. "I am the monster this world now perceives me as."

Harry crossed his arms, gazing mutely at the other man, waiting for him to clarify.

"I'm a Frost Giant, Harry. I was so small at birth that my true father didn't want me. I was a disgrace to his linage and he left me for death. And then the Allfather came along, victorious in the battle against the monsters of the ice. Filled to the brim with self-righteousness and pity disguised as mercy he took me in, making me believe that I was a prince who one day could ascend to the throne." He scoffed. "What mockery! I would never be allowed onto the throne of Asgard! No Frost Giant would ever be allowed in a place of power in the realm of gods, and the Jotuns had already shunned me, so the Allfather's hope for an alliance was the foolish dream of a feeble, old man. I'm not Loki Odinson, not Loki Laufeyson. I'm Loki No-One's-Son, a monster, who no one could ever love. So why not behave like it?"

Harry moved in a flash.

.:oOo:.

"Guys look!" It had been a few minutes and with the call made by Clint everyone looked back at the screen. They had looked away feeling uneasy as the pair embraced, and choosing to give them some privacy, but it was mostly to spare their own sense of sanity, or that was what Tony had said. Both men had been standing, something having disturbed what had appeared to be a peaceful reunion and as Clint called for their attention the man in the red hoodie moved like flash, punching Loki in the nose. The trickster's eyes filled with tears and he grabbed at the appendage, blinking at the other man, completely stunned. The force of the blow had forced him to sit back down again.

"Wow, I'm starting to like this guy," Tony said, smiling widely at Loki's pain. "Damn, I wish we had sound! This must have been good! I can practically imagine the crunch…"

Loki lowered his hands and they could see that his nose was broken, the bridge had gone crocked and it was oozing blood down his chin.

"He truly is one of my people," Thor mused, not appearing all that concerned about his brother's health. "The force needed to hurt us is not possessed by common mortals."

"What does that mean?" Natasha asked. "That he is an Asgardian?"

"I am not certain," Thor answered meeting her eye. "I have never encountered anything like it. If what Loki told me was true, that is. It has happened that my people have come to Midgard and lived here, much like I was forced to do a year ago. We would then immerse ourselves into your people, able to go unnoticed. Harry could be a man who chose to do that, but if he was once human and my brother reawakened some long slumbering heritage I do not know what it will mean. I only know that I will have to bring him with us."

"You'll take him with you?" Bruce asked.

"It is necessary. My father must be informed, and he must be evaluated."

"But he isn't a criminal is he?" Steve asked. "From what we've seen in the files Stark brought up the man is like us, a person who protects people. It wouldn't be just to bring him against his will to stand trial for something he isn't responsible for."

"Be that as it may, he is a witness, he is close to my brother and now that he has become one of us he is bound by our laws. He will come."

.:oOo:.

"Was that necessary?" Loki asked a few moments later, his voice slightly muffled because of the blood trickling from his nose. "What did I do to warrant that?"

"You were being an idiot, wallowing in self-pity and I had had enough of it." Harry flicked his wand, making an angry jab and Loki's nose snapped back into place. He jabbed again, and the blood cleared away. "You stupid, stupid…" Harry walked closer and sat down next to him. "You are not a monster. Whatever it is that you have done, you are not a monster, and whatever it is you have done I still…" Harry went silence. He wasn't good at emotional stuff. He gazed into Loki's eyes, seeing so much pain and hatred there. He wanted it gone. "I love you."

Loki blinked. "You do? Even if..?"

"Yes. My mind is telling me that I shouldn't forgive you. My heart has known enough pain and only recognizes the love now. I love you _. You,_ not your name or your actions. You."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN 7th July 2013:
> 
> There we have part 3. I liked it. Mhmm. Even if it was shorter than the previous two. It was fun writing Harry and Loki together, I don't know if they acted strange, but I think it would be rather tense and as a lot of emotions of different kind were at work it wouldn't be all lovidovi. I hope you enjoyed it too and that you'll tune into the next part.
> 
> Oh and thanks to Kai19 for letting me use the line you provided in your review.


	4. The Reconciliation

"I-", Loki mumbled. His face was void of emotion, as was his voice. The anger was gone, but no other feelings had taken its place. "I don't know what to say."

"Please say you say you feel same, or I will walk out that door, and I swear you'll never see me again."

"You cannot do that," Loki said coldly, though a possible hint of fear appeared in his eyes. "You'd be alone, living, while all the people you care about die one by one, just as you fear. You have yet to master your powers. You need me."

Harry grimaced. "I do," he admitted, while he didn't like the underhand tactic Loki was using to make him say it, it was only the truth, "but not because of that. If not yet, then soon your brother will know of me. "

"He already does," Loki confirmed, his lips twitching as Harry called Thor his brother. "What does it matter?"

"That settles that. Don't you see? I do not need you for practicalities any more. Things have changed. My existence is no longer a secret. Another Asgardian could just as easily tutor me and tell me what I need to know about what I have become." He could see that Loki was about to protest. "You are not the only citizen of Asgard to have magic, though you may be one of the most powerful ones, there is Odin for one, something you fail to admit most of the time."

Loki sneered.

"But I do need you because I care about you. I  _want_  you in my life, though you should know that I will walk away, if you no longer wish for me to be a part of  _your_  life."

Loki rose and went over to Harry, taking the wizard's hands into his own marginally larger ones, letting his thumbs move over the tanned skin, it had taken on a brown colour, evidence that he had spent time in the country Loki had exiled him to. He drew in a deep breath and looked into the other man's eyes, knowing that he had to say the right things if he didn't want to loose Harry forever.

"I want you, just as much as before," he said earnestly, his words chosen carefully as they had more than one meaning and he spoke them softly with some underlying heat, though not too pronounced, he didn't want Harry to think that all he wanted was his body, but enough to know that the spark of desire remained. "I promised you that I would never leave, that also means that I will never ask you to go. I want you by my side."

"Really?" There was a hint of a smile playing at Harry's lips.

"Yes." Loki considered the battle won. The war however was undetermined.

The smile twisting up the corners of Harry's mouth slipped away. "Then would you please explain the madness that made you attack my home world? You say you did it because of me."

"Yes," Loki winced just a little, feeling bad about the hurt he could see in Harry, and understanding that their reconciliation wasn't complete. "It was not my intention to hurt you earlier."

Harry glared, drawing his hands free, with a forceful jerk, and crossing his arms across his chest again so that they would be out of reach. "Yes it was," he said in what was almost a hiss. "You knew exactly what to say to hurt me. You know me well enough to play at my fears and doubts and if you hadn't wanted to hurt me you wouldn't have."

"Fine. I did intentionally hurt you," the trickster admitted. He closed his eyes, showing his vulnerability and gathering his courage. "You must understand Harry; I am not at my best. You may think that I was wallowing in self pity…"

"You were," Harry muttered and Loki ignored him.

"…but", he continued in a louder voice, "what happened, what I learned was important to me and…"

"You are not over it."

"There is more to it, but essentially, yes. I still feel so much anger and resentment; it is filling me up, admittedly clouding my judgement. What Odin has done is not right. I may not have acted wisely either, but this, all of this has its source in the Allfather."

"I'm glad you're not blaming me anymore," the wizard said dryly, not impressed. "Will you not take responsibility for your actions?"

"I am responsible, but you need to know why I have acted the way I have. You know what I think of Thor."

"I do. We had some disagreements about it. I think you insulted many of the values I stand for in the process."

Loki snorted. "Recklessness and thinking without acting is not something to be proud of. Bravery is nothing unless you also possess a clear mind and analytic abilities. You must know when to fight and when to employ other methods."

"There you go again."

"Harry, you grew up. You are not an embodiment of the School House you were placed in at age eleven. You may still act without thinking at times, but you have learned the value of patience. I know you have, and you had begun to culture the ability long before you met me. It was not carless courage that allowed you to gather Voldemort's horcruxes."

"Fine. The conclusion is that you claim that Thor didn't know."

"He did not and he proved it with undisputable clarity once I presented him with a situation which forced him to act, letting his true character come forth. He was sorely lacking, bringing down war on Asgard when it was not needed and Odin himself saw that his oldest son, his pride and joy, was not fit to be King. Thor was banished, leading to the events of New Mexico that you brought up earlier."

"You wanted the throne for yourself," Harry said accusingly. "Don't play all noble with me. You constructed a situation in which you knew how your brother would act and you knew it would put him in a bad light. If I know you right, you goaded him along the way, making it look as if you were trying to hold him back."

Loki laughed, it was a humourless sound. "It worked didn't it? And yes I desired the throne."

"Why? Did you want power? Did you want to lord over the people who all your life has seen you as lesser?"

"In part," the god admitted, it had been a bonus having the Warriors Three bend knee at his feet as he sat upon the throne as their King, "but the truth comes down to you once more. Don't look at me like that."

Harry's glare had turned acid, his eye colour enhancing the impression. "How am I to look then? You are in a way making me responsible for a coup to the Asgardian throne and you've put blame on me for an invasion of Earth!"

"I know how it must sound, if you would only allow me to continue."

"Fine. Continue then."

"What I am trying to say is that you resonate in everything I do. It is all done with you in mind, wanting to create a future for the two of us. I believe that the end justifies the means and I had no problem using methods I knew you wouldn't condone of as long as it gave me the desired result."

"It is not right."

"That is debatable."

"Your actions brought war upon your realm!"

"Thor did it all by himself, with his arrogance and eagerness for battle. My actions only made sure that it happened earlier than it otherwise would have and before he was granted the crown and undue power. I have told you how the people of Asgard view relationships such as ours. They think it a lower class of love. It is not forbidden, but it might as well have been. It is not looked upon with kind eyes. They would never give us respect."

"We don't need to live there, it is not necessary."

"Oh, but it is. You may not see it now, you are young still, but I have said so before and I will have to say it again so that you understand. A day will come when everyone you know and love here on Midgard has passed on and you  _need_  friends. I can give you much, but you would never be truly happy if it was just you and I together for the long time an Asgardian life is."

Harry tried to say something, but Loki stopped him.

"You would have tried for me, I know that, but my goal isn't just exiting. My goal is to make you happy in the long run. You would never be truly happy living in some remote corner of the universe with me, and the only friends you could hope to make would be Asgardians; there would be little point in befriending a short lived species such as the people on Midgard. Some of them may not care about two men loving each other, but others would mock and taunt you and I know that you, even if you wish it weren't so… You care about what other people think and you need friends and the respect of others, if not their liking. I was trying to make sure power didn't end up in my foolish  _brother_ 's hands and by doing so I hoped to gain the influence needed to change the people's opinion on the matter."

Harry was silent for a moment, thinking through what Loki had just said. He could understand it and it was true that isolation wasn't a way of life he would willingly choose, was there another option. He could also imagine what he would feel when Ron and Hermione inevitable passed on. He wouldn't have the strength to make new friends knowing that he would soon see them pass on as well.

"I concede your point," he said, "as long as I do not have to agree with your methods and you give me a promise of not doing something like that again."

Loki stayed silent.

Harry closed his eyes, resigned. "You won't do it."

"No, I will not. It would tie me down and force me to do things I am not prepared to. If keeping you safe and happy means several realms have to burn, I will do it."

Harry was a little scared by that announcement. Some may find it romantic if the person of their affection said that they would do anything for you, but it lost much of it appeal when it was a truth that may become reality.

"If you did that I could never be happy," he said in a tone that denied any argument. "I'd have to live with those deaths on my conscious, don't you understand it? I sacrificed myself for a world full of people who didn't hesitate to put all their hope on the shoulders of an adolescent boy, a world that is fickle with who they shun and who they hail. I did it because it was the right thing to do. I could never condone death if it was the price for my life or happiness, I'd rather be the one to die."

Loki's features had taken on a disgruntled look. "I think I can see that this is something you would do," he granted, "though the same could never apply to me. I am a selfish creature of nature. You are one of the few things I care about. The only one I would lay down my life for."

"Don't."

"What?"

"Don't you dare do that. Ever."

Loki didn't understand what the wizard was saying.

"I've had enough people sacrifice themselves for me," Harry clarified talking fast. "If you did die to save me, it would be as good as sentencing me to death anyway. I cannot carry another debt like that."

"Who is being selfish now, Mr. Saviour?"

"So what?" Harry said defensively.

"I don't mind. No, no, I find that I like that you can be selfish even if it's just a matter such as this."

"That's not all."

"I just enjoy being able to prove a point."

Harry snorted out a small laugh. "That I believe."

"Martyrs in the end I believe are selfish. They cannot live with the knowledge that they have not given their all, they would go under from the guilt. So in the end they sacrifice themselves for their own purpose."

Harry sighed, exasperated. He felt glad that he hadn't rushed to the US as soon as he learned that Loki was there. He wouldn't have been able to do this if he hadn't gotten some sleep. "You just took away everything that was romantic about your statement that you would lay down your life for me."

Loki smirked. "I told you; I am a selfish man."

"Well, I am not having the discussion about altruism not existing."

"That's because you know you will lose. You just confessed that your own sacrifice was made with selfish intentions."

"We're not talking about it."

Loki inclined his head, giving Harry this small boon. "As you wish."

"Tell me what happened next. Thor was banished for behaving foolhardy."

"Correct. Meanwhile I had discovered that something was wrong with me. In Jotunheim I touched the skin of one of the Frost Giants, a fate that would lead to the death of an Asgardian as it would cause instant and severe frostbite did they wish it, but when I touched the warrior my true appearance was revealed, my skin turned blue same as theirs. I suspected then what I was and it did not take much to confirm it."

"What does it matter?" Harry was honestly confused. Loki was still who he had always been, it didn't matter who his parents had been.

"You do not understand. You have not grown up hearing the horror stories told to children before they go to sleep, the exciting and scary tales of the monsters of Jotunheim. The barbaric Frost Giants who would never hesitate to bring down Asgard, and as it turned out I was one of them. Imagine if you had found out that you were Voldemort's son."

Harry shuddered unwillingly. "Yeah, I see your point." He nodded. "I would have begun to doubt myself and everything that had ever happened in my life.

"That was how it was. I didn't know anymore. Was I a monster? Was that why I could never fit in? Could the others somehow tell? It would explain everything. It became obvious why I had always been treated differently by my parents, though I am man enough to say that they tried, but it was not enough, just like I was not. It would never matter how much I tried to be the better son, how much I tried to fit in, how much I tried to make everyone proud. I would never be good enough because of to whom I was born." Loki clenched his fists, suppressing the urge to slam his hand into the wall. "You cannot imagine how angry I was."

"I noticed, you know," Harry murmured. "I tried to talk to you the last time you came to see me, but you weren't receptive to me."

"No, I was not. I was certain that if you learned the truth you would not want anything to do with me. I felt that I had to prove myself to you as well and becoming the King of Asgard seemed the way to do it."

"That was foolish of you. You know I don't care for power."

"I do know that and it should have been apparent to me even then."

"So you are different. That is not necessarily a bad thing. You wouldn't want me to be like my cousin would you? And you wouldn't want to be a copy of Thor."

Loki laughed at the image provided. "No, I would not like that. Nevertheless I was questioning everything. I did not know how to proceed. I needed to clear my head. I needed answers and guidance." He paused walking around the room, not that he needed more than a few steps to do so.

"The Allfather found me when I had gone to the vault where the Casket of Ancient Winters was kept. As an artefact from Jotunheim it had the ability to reveal my true nature. I confronted him. He didn't give me any satisfying answers. Just some drivel about how I had been an innocent child and how I was his son."

"That doesn't sound so bad. He loved you."

Loki sneered and didn't honour Harry's statement with a reply. "It did not satisfy me," he continued as if the other man had never interrupted. "There had to be more. I got him to confess that he had wanted to use me to negotiate peace between the two realms, I was to be a bargaining tool, and now he had come to realize that it would never be. He did not say it, but it was not necessary, I could read all I needed in his silence; I was not needed anymore. Before I could make him confess, before he could say any more, to either clear himself or condemn him in my eyes forever he fell into the Odin sleep. With the events that had passed he had postponed it for too long and as a result he had grown weak. I never got the answers I wanted, that I  _needed._  Thor was gone and Mother-"

Harry gave him a quizzical look at the title.

"I do not blame her same as I do Thor and Odin. I am angry with her for always siding with  _Him_ , but in truth she has been kind to me and…" he sighed.

"It's okay to care about her. It is okay to love a person even if they have wronged you, love does not work like that; which you should be thankful for."

"You are right, of course." He nodded, acknowledging that Harry was referring to himself and that if loved dissolved at one wrong action he would not bother with Loki anymore.

"What I was about to say was that it was uncertain weather the Allfather would wake up again or not. Mother was devastated and she was not fit to take Odin's place as regent and it was up to me to take charge. I had to handle the situation left to me by Thor. There was war on the horizon and I did the only thing I could think of to stop it."

Harry was recognizing that this was hard for Loki to speak of it. He uncrossed his arms and placed a hand on the other man's shoulder, leading him back to the cot and coxing him to sit down. "Continue whenever you're ready," he said gently.

He was still angry with Loki, there was no denying it, but behind all the fury that the trickster held he could see so much confusion and hurt. He decided that he would cut Loki some slack. He wouldn't tolerate anything violent, but he would be more forbearing and he would keep his own temper at bay as best he could.

What he had said was true. He still loved Loki and he had a feeling that he would never be able to stop, which was why he grew scared when he spoke both about waging war on other realms and laying down his life for Harry, if the man he loved did either of those things it would break him.

It was no wonder that he loved Loki either. The man had come to him in a time of his life when he was vulnerable and confused, giving him guidance and compassion which had bloomed into something more. He couldn't regret it. The years that had passed since their meeting had been some of the best in his life and he thought that the same applied for the Asgardian. They had found something profound in each other, understanding, acceptance and later love.

Loki might one day do something which Harry would never be able to forgive, he had said it himself, yet all the same the man would always have his love and that was dangerous. He was in too deep now and all he could do was to hope that he could influence the trickster so that the events that had passed wouldn't end up destroying them both.

"I had helped the Jotuns into Asgard before and I could do it again. It did not take much for them to see that I was the one who left the paths open and as I am sure Laufey knew who I was it was easy to play the part of traitor. If rumours had made their way to their realm, they would know me to be something of an outcast and the leader of the Jotuns did believe himself to be more cunning than most, probably thinking that he could get something out of the child that had disappointed him by being born a weakling. I told Laufey that he would be allowed to the Allfather's side where he could kill the man."

"You wanted him dead?" Harry was startled. That was not the impression he had gotten. Loki had come to resent Odin, he had learned this, but to want him dead? That was on a whole different level. Patricide was not easily overlooked.

"That depends on who  _him_  is referring to. I wanted Laufey dead."

"Oh."

Loki chuckled dryly. "What better way to have him executed than to do it myself in defence of my adopted father?"

"And you did it?"

"Yes. That part of the plan went well."

"Patricide?"

Loki scoffed. "I wouldn't go so far as to call it that. Laufey deserves the title even less than Odin does. However I digress, I now had good cause to eradicate Jotunheim."

"What?" Harry startled. "Why would you do that? What possible gain could you draw from it? They are your people!"

"Do not say that I am one of them!" Loki roared. "I am not. I could have been once, but I was brought up an Asgardian and that makes me one."

Harry smiled, making Loki pause. "Oh, clever, Harry, very clever. You wanted me to say that."

"Only to help you see what you already know."

"Hmm. I suppose. Even after all that had happened I still wanted approval. Now more than ever I felt the need to prove myself. To show that I was a worthy son, that I belonged, that letting me be heir to the throne was the right decision to make. When the Allfather woke once more I would be the one who saved him and I would be the one who destroyed our enemies, taking revenge for his would be assassination. But Thor returned, just in time it seemed, ready to stop my plans and I could not allow it. We fought as the Bifrost was set to tear Jotunheim apart and he, fancying himself mature now, having found love, destroyed the bridge to save a race he had only days before been prepared to kill with his own hands."

"People do change, they can learn."

"He had over a thousand years to grow up," Loki sneered.

"Sometimes it isn't time that is needed. It can be something which appears small to others, but fundamentally changes who you are. You say that he found love? Can you honestly say that after meeting me, you haven't changed?"

"No."

"I'm afraid that it has not been for the better. It appears to have given you the motivation, and restrictions weren't ever something you had. I'm not sure what to think any more, Loki."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm beginning to think that this is too much. You have my love, I cannot change that. But I cannot, no, I  _will_  not be with you if it will make you do these things. You cannot put us above everyone else. You wanted to prove that you were fit to be king and in the end you seem to have made the same mistakes you accused your brother of. You have been foolish and reckless. You haven't acted like a King, but as the spoilt Prince you actually are."

"How dare you?" Anger was rising in Loki. He didn't tolerate being questioned, least of all by a man who was so many times younger than him, no matter if it was Harry.

"I dare," Harry said, standing tall. "I am not afraid of you and if it comes down to it I will not hesitate to stop you." They both knew that Loki was more or less defenceless at the moment with his magic bound and nearly depleted in any case. Harry may not have his vast experience but were they to fight now it was the wizard who would come out the victor.

"Are you threatening me now, Harry?"

"No. I am giving you a warning." Harry had not forgotten that he had promised himself to be understanding, but Loki needed to know where he stood and if speaking harshly was the only way to make him see then so be it.

"If you want your life to continue, if you want to be all that you can be you have to put this behind you. You have to stop being bitter, and see that the people around you care," Loki curled his lips, not agreeing, "not all of them, that is true," Harry continued unperturbed, "but those that matters. Families fight. That does not mean they don't love each other. If I am to be with you, I have to trust you and for that to happen you will have to make that promise I asked of you before."

"And if I will not do it?"

"Then I will say good bye."

Loki avoided answering by beginning to speak again. "Thor destroyed the Bifrost. There was an explosion. The Allfather arrived just in time to grab Thor's hand. He held one end of my spear and I held the other, dangling over the abyss. I tried to explain what I had intended to do."

"Your father did not approve."

"No, he didn't. With just two words he rejected me and I let go."

"No," Harry gasped in horror. He may be angry with Loki, but the image that appeared in his mind was something he wanted to reject, he did not want to think of Loki falling to his end. He had been shown memories of Asgard and he could imagine the edge of the realm and the black void beyond.

"Yes. In that moment all that mattered was that I had failed to acquire his liking. By all rights I should have been dead. But something else happened. The power of the damaged and falling Bifrost opened a hole in space and time and I fell through it. I ended up lost in the hidden pathways of the universe unable to navigate as I usually can when travelling through them. I was unable to hold on to anything or find direction. I was lost and in time so was my mind. Time sized to matter. It could have been days, eons, minutes or months. I forgot who I was and where I came from. I only knew that I still existed and that I had given my word to you that I would return."

Harry felt distinctly bad now. "Loki, I didn't know."

Loki sighed quietly, showing once more how his mood changed too quickly to be normal. "No and how could you? I don't blame you. I didn't tell you what I was planning, and you were not there to see it happen, and no one knew to inform you. After what I can only deem to be an eternity I arrived at a strange place. It was outside the universe that is known to us, home to creatures that were at the same time so forging, and so alike us. Ending up there might have influenced the emotions that grew strongest within me. That realm was desolate and dead, it was a miracle in on itself that anything could live there, or perhaps curse would be a better word, for ultimately they want to conquer the universe, or so they said in not so many words. I think there was more than that. I think they were preparing to cause the ultimate destruction. It is my belief that they will not stop until they have reached their final goal; the death of all life."

Harry shivered as he imagined the creatures Loki spoke of. He had seen footage of the battle in New York and their home world was sure to reflect their physical appearance. But it was not what they looked like that unsettled him as much as the goals Loki said that they strived for. "Who are they?" he asked a slight tremor in his voice.

"The one who leads them is one of the ancient beings of the world, Thanos is his name. The reason they wanted to attack Earth was to attain the Tesseract. I realize now that it must be kept from them at all costs, otherwise we are all domed."

"So you are not on the side of chaos after all?"

"Hmph. Chaos certainly, absolute death, not as much. I enjoy trickery, and I am not averse to killing, that however does not mean that I want the entire universe to be void of life."

"Good, I guess."

Loki smirked at Harry's uncertain tone. "I have seen the error of the decision I made when I chose to alley myself with them. I only did it because it would give me something I wanted and it was the only way for me to attain it, just as they only tolerated me for the same reason. No more. I let them down and I will be the first person to meet my end if they have their saying."

"Are you saying that you will give me your word to not put yourself or me above all else?"

"I-" Loki closed his eyes. He didn't want to, but he didn't want Harry to give up on him either.

"You can overcome what happened. We can move on, together. We can both try to do what is best for this world and with us on the side of those who are trying to protect, the odds of success will rise, if only a tiny bit." Harry placed his hand back on Loki's shoulder. "Please," he whispered.

Loki opened his eyes, and stared into the wizard's emerald coloured eyes. "Is that what you desire?"

"It is."

He shook his head. "It it is madness."

"Then by all means, let us be mad."

Loki smiled. "Then you have my word. I love you, Harry."

"I love you too." Harry moved his hand up, placing it on Loki's cheek, feeling the stubble that had begun to grow and tracing a faint scar that hadn't been there one year ago. He leaned in closer, brining their lips together in a kiss that started out gentle.

They were together now, and as Loki had given his word, come hell or high water, nothing would be able to tear them apart.

Loki could feel himself relaxing. The familiarity of Harry's lips moving against his own made all his doubts ebb away. As Harry opened his mouth and he was met with the first stroke of a probing tongue he knew that he could have done nothing else but to give his word. Anything Harry asked he would have.

He brought up his own hands, placing one on the wizard's waist and the other in his hair, drawing him closer and intensifying the kiss. As long as he could get to do this again, he would put up with any idiocy the world could throw at them.

"What the hell!"

Though he would prefer the world would wait a bit longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN 27th July 2013:
> 
> Part 4. The first three parts got titles beginning with The R...
> 
> I hadn't planned it, but since it worked out that way I'll use it for all parts. I'm not sure about this chapter. It felt a bit dragging. A lot of dialogue and talking back and forth, but I felt that it was needed for Harry and Loki to reconcile. They need a united front for what is to come and that couldn't happen unless they talked things through and once I got started there was no stopping it.
> 
> Anyway I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know what you thought.
> 
> Until next part!


	5. The Rabbit

Loki and Harry sprang apart when they heard the door to the cell slam open and the subsequent exclamation.

"Potter, what is the meaning of this?" The Director of SHIELD, Nicholas Fury was standing just inside the door, the eye that wasn't hidden behind a patch was wide open.

"It is exactly what it looks like," Harry answered the furious man, with an ironic tilt to his voice.

"Then would you care to explain what it looks like, 'cause I'm not sure I want to consider any possibility at all."

Loki was smirking openly.

"Well I..." Harry began to say.

"How do you know him? Where you helping him out all along?"

Harry gaped, incredulous. "What? No! I didn't know he was back on Earth until yesterday! And we met about eight years ago."

"I did an experiment when I was young," Loki began to explain, grasping the chance to annoy the one-eyed director. "Harry here is the result."

"What the hell is he talking about? Potter?"

"I'm not human."

The trench coat wearing man froze. "Oh for Gods sake!" Fury really didn't need this.  _At least he's human,_ he should have known that the thought would come back to haunt him, as if it wasn't enough that the man was a wizard. "Then pray tell what the hell you are!"

"I was human until I was seventeen. The change happened gradually in the years following. I suppose you could say that I was a demigod with extremely diluted blood before, having one or several distant ancestors who like Thor and Loki were of Asgard. What Loki's experiment did was to awaken that blood, transforming me into one of them."

"No."

"Yes," Loki's smirk broadened, "he is. You cannot conceive what he has become and what he now has the power to do if he wishes."

"You're not helping," Harry said exasperated.

"Who ever said I was trying to? It is a shame that you're dead set on not using that power."

"Well, that is better than what you've been doing with your considerable magic."

"Perhaps."

Fury growled, having gotten enough of the Asgardian who had threatened to ruin their world and seeing him talking familiarity to a man he had considered an ally did not help, not to mention walking in on them with their lips locked together. "Potter, you're coming with me. There'll have to be an end to this madness."

Harry snorted. "Fine," he said. "Though I'm telling you right now that it won't be so easy. Madness might as well have been my middle name, or so I've been told."

Now it was the other dark-haired male who snorted. "I should think so," he muttered, "you make me look positively sane."

Harry gave the other man a half-hearted glare. "You know what, I'm not coming with you," he said turning back to Fury.

" _What_?"

"I need to speak with Thor."

That response made Loki hiss. "You want to speak with him? What use would that be off?"

"I thought we had already established that."

"No, we have not. I gave you my word, yet you would go to  _him?_ "

"You'll have to return to Asgard, you know this, and I need to speak with him about keeping in contact. I'm not allowing you to disappear out of my life again, and so I need to know about what is going to happen."

Loki glared. "It will not be so simple. You should keep as far away from him as possible."

"Why?"

"How you have remained so ig- innocent," Loki changed his choice of words, "I will never understand. You will not simply be allowed to walk away. As you have associated with me you'll be called as a witness at best, but it is far more likely that you will be forced to travel to Asgard where they will keep you for an undisclosed amount of time, awaiting a trial of your own."

Harry looked unconvinced. "What crime could they possible accuse me of? And why do you think people would like to hurt you? Your father is their leader."

"Odin may call himself my father, but he is not a lenient man. He sent Thor to Earth, stripped of his powers and I need not remind you that he was the favoured son. What the Allfather will do to me I can only guess and the rest of the people would rise up against him if he allowed his family undue mercy. Oh no, the people will not stay out of this matter and they are as imaginative and narrow-minded as any people you will find on this planet. I am certain that they will come up with something to accuse you for, as getting to you will hurt me. I suspect that  _operating outside of awareness, in a realm not granted access to,_  to be a likely indictment."

"Really?" Harry still looked sceptical.

"There are restrictions for how Asgardians are allowed to travel outside of our realm. Anyone who leaves is under strict observation and the punishment for any transgression can be unjustifiably harsh."

"I will not allow them to treat me however they please."

Fury who had kept his peace for a while chose this moment to speak up. "I cannot have you causing a galactic scandal Potter, if you are required to go you will do so."

"Don't I get a saying in this?"

"If you are at all the man I thought you were you will do whatever it takes to keep the people of this world safe."

Harry frowned. "Is finding me here with Loki enough to make you question all you know about me, Nick?"

"Potter-"

The wizard glared.

"Harry," Fury said, placating the Englishman somewhat. "I am in a situation where I am not sure what to believe anymore. I have to think about the best for the people of this planet, and if that means that I have to reassess one man I will do so."

"Fine, I get it." Harry sighed and turned back to Loki. "I must speak to him either way. Perhaps going to Asgard will not be such a bad thing."

The Trickster opened his mouth to protest.

"I am not a secret anymore, we knew that we would have to deal with things eventually, it will just be a bit sooner than we had planned."

"You could still run, you could keep hidden, there are ways to stay out of Heimdall's sight even with him knowing what to look for."

"It is better that I show that I am willing to cooperate. We can deal with things when they come, if they come."

"They will come."

Harry gave him a look.

"Very well, I'll see you soon then." Grinning in Director Fury's direction, Loki pulled Harry close and drew the wizard into a passionate kiss, knowing that it would aggravate the African-American man while at the same time succeed in giving him another taste of the only being he'd do anything for.

Loki wished he could take it further, but restrained himself, even as the promise of so much more pleasure hiding beneath the clothes of the wizard beckoned him. He drew back and smiled fondly as he saw Harry's dopy expression, though to others it might look like an ordinary smirk.

Harry drew himself back up, and cleared his throat. "Where do you think I'll find Thor?" he asked.

"Likely at Stark Tower, together with the rest of those wayward heroes."

"Those,  _wayward heroes,"_  Fury said, scowling, "put a stop to you."

Loki sneered in turn, but kept silent.

"Okay. Fury, do you want to come along?"

The Director of SHIELD didn't look happy at the prospect. "I am unsure if it would be to your advantage, Potter. I am not their favourite person at the moment."

"But you do want to keep an eye on me don't you?" Harry asked, his tone a bit teasing.

"I don't appreciate being made fun of."

"What? Oh… I just said," he cleared his throat awkwardly, while Loki had backed off, enjoying the free show. Harry had a talent for causing mischief; it just happened to be accidental rather than planned, though he had made his best, and would continue to encourage Harry to use the gift he'd inherited from his father.

"I just meant to say that I believed you would want to make sure everything passes accordingly, I never meant to stir up any trouble."

"Yet somehow you always do. I'd better come with you. Shall we go then?"

"I'm not going to ride in a car when magic can take us there much faster."

"Magic? Right, I forgot about that, not that I understand how I ever could forget. You and your people give us more trouble than anyone else"

"It is what it is," the Englishman said with a small shrug of his shoulders. "And we do clean up most of our own messes. Shall we go?"

"I'd rather not take my chances with this magic of yours if you don't mind. I still remember last time; I think I told you to never do that to me again."

"My apparition is hardly as jarring any more, more power helps."

"I still think I'll take the car."

Harry shrugged again. "Fine by me. I'll see you in a bit then?"

Fury, looked at the pair of dark-haired males in the cell, staring briefly at them as if he had a hard time understanding what he was seeing. He then clenched his jaw, grunted lightly in what Harry supposed was affirmative and left the way he'd come.

"Alone at last," Loki said, "I think I'll say good bye to you one more time."

"Not good bye," Harry murmured as they stepped closer once more, "simply a  _I'll see you soon_."

The Asgardian smiled gently, his hand on Harry's cheek. "I think I can agree with that."

.:oOo:.

At Stark Tower, a few floors down from the penthouse, where there was a large living space that was still habitable, the members of the Avengers Initiative had been gathered around the screen showing the feed from Loki's cell for the last hour or so. It was rather ironic that Harry Potter had appeared in the room just as they were speaking about him. After some time most of them had grown a bit bored and turned their attention to other things.

The punch had gotten their attention, but after that the two men that they could see on the screen just appeared to be engaged in conversation, even if it was of the heated kind from time to time. The entire group had also enjoyed seeing the Director barge in on them, but their attention had once more shifted when Potter and Loki engaged in another make out session.

Tony had diligently been working on trying to make the audio work, since it disappeared as a result of Potter's magic but it was to no avail. Yet he wasn't one to give up, having been able to built a suit ready for warfare in a cave in Afghanistan had showed him that as long as he kept working and was a bit resourceful he could get things done, and when someone less stubborn would have given up he kept entering codes and running hacking programs through Jarvis.

Thor was torn between wanting to know what his brother was saying and feeling uncomfortable with looking in on a private conversation. He wasn't usually one to put much stake in the word or concept of privacy, but watching his brother speak so familiarly with a man that for him was a stranger, confiding in him rather than in his family made him ache, and feel the need to look away, allowing them the freedom to truly be alone as it was what his brother surely desired. For all that had happened between them, Thor still cared, and he didn't want to do anything more to enhance his brother's disdain for him.

Watching them kiss had strangely enough managed to embarrass him. He wouldn't have thought such a thing possible after that one time when Lady Sif, the Warriors Three, his mother and Loki had found him naked in the Palace kitchens, climbing on the shelves to get to a cookie jar that was placed at the top.

After that incident, Thor had come to the conclusion that embarrassment was not an emotion that was to his advantage, or perhaps he'd simply run out of mortification once he sobered up from the inebriation that had clouded his mind at the time and was told what had happened. One thing was certain; none of his friends had ever allowed him to live it down.

Natasha had kept her eyes looked on the screen and nobody doubted that she was following the conversation without problem, reading their lips whenever the two people in the cell had their faces turned to the camera. Tony and Thor could once in a while be seen glancing at her, looking as if they were thinking about asking her to tell what was going on, only to change their minds.

Clint and Steve were talking about baseball, Clint catching the Captain up to some of the games he'd missed and Bruce had closed his eyes, dozing lightly with his head against his shoulder, an expression of deceptive calm on his prematurely lined face.

When Harry Potter disappeared from the cell it is no surprise that Natasha was the first to react. When the man, half a second later, appeared in the room with a crack, the red-haired agent, immediately moved, a knife appearing in her hand, and in the next instant the blade of the knife was resting against the newly arrived man's throat.

Before any of the others had the chance to see Natasha move, Harry had moved in turn, instincts guiding him and when the five male Avengers had turned to the commotion it was to see Natasha on her back, a dark haired man sitting across her stomach with a thin stick of wood pointed under her chin and from what they could make out, the woman was paralyzed, unable to even blink her eyes.

The man turned his head and looked at them, seeming to come out of a daze. "Damn," he swore under his breath when he saw their hostile expressions. None of them had any weapons at hand, though Clint's hands were twitching and if you knew anything about them you knew that weapon weren't a necessity for a few of them.

"What did you do to her?" Clint asked hissing. His muscles were tense and he was ready to attack at the smallest twitch from the man who had downed Natasha. He obviously recognized him as Harry Potter and though the information SHIELD had on the Englishman should make him an ally he was together with Loki and that made Clint wary.

"A simple petrifaction spell, nothing harmful, I assure you," the Potter answered calmly. With slow deliberate motions, he removed his wand from Natasha's chin and got up from the floor still moving slowly. "Sorry," he said, and while he kept an eye on the Avengers he made a small flick with the wand.

The on looking men took half a step forward, but when they noticed that Natasha was moving now, getting up from the floor, her face expressionless and her movements fluent, they backed down.

"You've got some good reflexes," he complimented her, looking a bit bashful as he tucked the stick into the sleeve of his red hoodie.

"Same," she said, giving a small nod of recognition.

"I'm surprised I took you by surprise, considering that you've been watching all along," Potter murmured next.

"You knew we were looking?" Tony asked, eyes gleaming with both suspicion and excitement. "How?"

"Well that large screen over there, showing Loki would be a rather big clue." Potter cleared his throat. "How much do you all know about me?"

"My brother has informed me of your association and I have told the others in this room," Thor began.

"We know that your name is Harry James Potter. You are thirty years old, going on thirty-one. You have a godson named Teddy Lupin. You've been working with SHIELD and several different branches of both the US and UK military. When you were seventeen you stopped a so called Dark Lord from taking over the England, oh and before you became a  _god_ ," Tony made quoting marks in the air, "you were a wizard." He stopped taking a gulp of air, having said all of that very fast.

Harry blinked. "That's not creepy at all," he said lightly. "Do you know what kind of cereal I prefer for breakfast too?"

"You prefer to eat oatmeal or toast for breakfast," Tony answered.

The wizard's green eyes grew in size. "Right, creepy," he muttered.

The other Avengers looked at Tony.

"What?" he said. "It says so in an interview I found in SHIELD's archives, it's from some tabloid called Witch Weekly."

"No, not creepy at all," Harry continued. "Just as it isn't creepy to know that you've been watching me and Loki as we…" he blushed not ending the sentence. "I didn't think I actually needed to put up the silencing ward. And now I feel at a disadvantage, you know all that about me, and I know nearly nothing about you. I should have taken the car with Nick."

"Nick?" Steve asked. "You mean the Director?"

"Of course he means the Director, we saw the picture of them shaking hands," Tony said. "Now I have a few questions. You're a wizard, is that wand waving, I noticed the stick, potion making, cloak wearing wizard or what?"

"Eh, yeah, I suppose you could say that. The stereotype is rather accurate. Pointy hats are common, so are cloaks and robes, we use wands and ride brooms."

"Uh-huh, so how does this magic thing work? I've tried to talk to the large lump of a Norse Deity over there, but he doesn't know much about magic, and I don't really fancy sitting in a cell speaking to Reindeer Games."

Harry gaped. "Are you talking about Loki?"

"Course, you've seen the helmet, right, you must have, makes me wonder what goes for fashion on Asgard. So what can you do with magic? All I've seen your beau do is to conjure up illusions and then using that fancy stick of destiny."

"Can someone else please take over this conversation?" Harry asked, looking a bit wary at Tony who was advancing on him with a manic glint in his eyes, making Harry think about Hermione when she'd found something she desperately wanted to study.

"Jarvis, you've been running the scans, right?"

"Of course, sir," the artificial intelligence said dryly. "Mr. Potter is giving off readings similar to both Thor and Loki, tough with some difference. The results will not be complete until more readings on actually performed  _magic_  have been tested."

"Okay. So Potter, would you be averse to doing a bit of magic, for instance could you make a rabbit appear inside a hat?"

Harry began to back away slowly, looking to the other people in the room. "Please can someone else be elected as spokesperson?"

Just then the elevator doors down the hall opened with a light ping.

"Jarvis, you are supposed to keep people wearing eye-patches away from here."

"It is not Director Fury, sir."

The sound of high heels against the parquet floor was soon followed by the appearance of a smartly dressed woman with strawberry blond hair. She had her arms full of files, and a mug of takeaway coffee in her hand. She paused when she saw all the Avengers standing up and Tony well on his way to cornering an unidentified man against a wall.

"Tony, do I want to know what's going on?" Pepper Potts asked.

"Just grilling, Loki's boyfriend."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN 26th August 2013:
> 
> I had some fun writing this chapter. I struggled a bit with the first part, but after going over it a couple of times I believe it turned out rather good.
> 
> It's a little bit tricky keeping order of all the Avengers and it will continue to be so, but I'll figure something out.
> 
> I have no idea where the story about Thor naked in the kitchens came from, so don't ask. We know the Cap must like baseball a little as he once attended a game and I can see Clint liking it somewhat too. Natasha is a brilliant spy/assassin it's no stretch of the imagination to think that she has some skill in lip-reading.
> 
> Sorry for ending it so abruptly, but I was struggling again and as it was of decent length I thought that I might as well post, and not keep you all waiting.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed Part 5. Let me know what you thought, and feel free to tell me what you want the guys to talk about come next part!


	6. The Range

"Loki's… What?" Pepper stammered, looking to the other people in the room for confirmation to what Tony just had said, it was such a strange notion that she wasn't certain if she was to believe him.

"'tis true, Lady Pepper," said Thor, "this man and my brother are romantically engaged."

"Eh," Harry said, bringing back attention to himself, he was blushing a little bit, at the same time he looked determined. "I… I actually came here for a reason. And you Mr. Stark have kept me from giving my proper respects long enough." He walked around Tony and approached Thor. As he walked his clothing transformed, the magical glow making the Avengers tense as it brought their thoughts back to Loki and battle.

Harry's clothes shifted seamlessly until the red hoodie and faded jeans had been replaced with light armour of Asgardian type, consisting of dark brown leather and ornaments in a silvery metal with a slight golden tint to it, over his shoulders hung a deep blue cloak. He bent knee before the blond god and lowered his head in respect.

"I Harry son of James, present myself to the Heir Apparent to the throne of Asgard, the Great Warrior Thor Odinson and humbly requests permission to enter the realm of my forefathers and where I wish to go through the rights of passage to earn my place among the people I wish to call my own."

His words were met with silence. The onlookers were too stunned to say anything. They had unconsciously prepared for a fight at the sight of magic and then they had been faced with something different. It was like watching something from out of a film or straight out of history, nothing in their experience would have prepared them for a modern man to suddenly kneel before one of their comrades. Their gazes turned to the tall blond man, and what they saw there was a solemn expression with a hint of a smile.

"I see that my brother have taught you well, Jameson."

"He has been training me, teaching me about your customs, your way of life. It was always his intention to have me join him in Asgard, though it was not to be for some time yet. However circumstances have changed and my existence had to be revealed, leaving us where we are now," the kneeling man answered without lifting his face, remaining in a position of respect and deference.

"You may rise, friend. I see no need for a fellow warrior to kneel before me. Though I and Loki have had our differences, I could see, in the time of a brief conversation that you are very important to him and if things go the way I hope, I know that I will one day come to think of you as family. I welcome you to come with us to Asgard when I and my brother return."

Harry rose back to his feet, standing tall and proud, nodding his head in acknowledgement. "I thank you. I am sure all of you have many questions," he said next looking at the rest of the people in the room, "and I would be willing to answer most of them, but I believe your departure was imminent and there are some things I need to do before I can come with you as I realize that I will be gone for a long time and I have responsibilities here that I need to see to. The sooner it is done, the sooner you will be able to return to your schedule."

"Understandable," Thor said, "your existence is being uprooted and you need time to prepare. I cannot offer you much time however, we need to depart as soon as possible; it is not wise to keep my father waiting."

"Give me one day, I shall need no more."

"That is acceptable. Return here within a day and we shall leave for Asgard."

Harry nodded. "If there is nothing else that is pressing that you need of me I shall take my leave."

Thor said nothing. The other Avengers and Pepper looked a bit hesitant. It was strange to see the way both Thor and Harry were behaving, speaking in different, more solemn tones than any of them were used to. Tony was of course the first one to recover.

"Just one thing," he started, making the wizard a bit wary, he'd already been victim of Tony's intense personality and knew not to underestimate the man. "Can you do some more magic? I want more data to analyze and I'll be terribly frustrated if I don't have anything to work with."

Harry snorted, hiding his relief at the simple request. "Sure," he said and with a light glimmer his armour and cloak melted away, leaving him in the same comfortable clothing he'd been wearing when he first arrived at the Tower.

"Jarvis?" Tony said, telling his AI that he wanted a report.

"These readings are very similar to the readings I was able to get off of Loki, though there is still an insufficient amount of data to tell if the magic used by Asgardians is the same as the magic Mr. Potter used in his capacity as wizard with a wand."

"Hmm. You heard him, can we get a bit of wand waving, Merlin?"

This time Harry rolled his eyes, but he still pulled out his wand. "You wanted a rabbit to come out of a hat, wasn't it?"

"Why not?" Tony said shrugging. "Sticking with the clichés can have its charms."

Harry grimaced as Tony said  _charms_ , looking much too smug for it to be a coincidence. "Please tell me that pun wasn't intended?"

The billionaire grinned. "No can do."

Harry shook his head. "Might as well make a whole show out of it then," he muttered and began to cast a spell, levitating a small bowl that was standing on one of the side tables by the couches, waving his wand in an intricate pattern, causing the ceramic piece to morph into a shiny, black top hat. It soared through the air, into the wizard's waiting hands. "Ladies and gentlemen," he said mockingly, taking a small bow. "It is my great honour to be performing for you this day. The magic you are about to see is no trick or illusion, it is true magic." Harry walked over to Bruce holding out the hat for him to take. "Sir, if you would please have a look at the hat, can you tell everyone in the audience that there is no hidden compartment here? That it is just an ordinary, black top hat?"

Smiling a small crocked smile, Bruce accepted the hat and pushed his hand inside, feeling around. He turned it over and rapped his knuckles against the top, listening to the sound. "It's a completely normal hat," he declared, playing along, however he also added: "except that it was created from a peanut bowl."

Harry grinned and took the hat back. "As the good sir here have been able to tell you; this hat does not hold a hidden compartment where a bunny could be hidden and yet…" he held the hat in one hand and pointed his wand at the opening with the other, sometime during his speech the wand had transformed to look like a wand from the magical set's kids can get; black with white ends. "Hocus-pocus," he said dramatically and moved the wand in a circle, next he reached inside the hat and pulled out a small, white bunny. His audience was suitably impressed, their expressions raging from smiles filled with wonder, to frowns.

The Captain, Bruce and Pepper were the ones who were most open with their admiration, having been filled with childlike wonder at the piece of magic. The two agents were more restrained with their expressions, though if you knew them well you would be able to see that they too were moved by the magic. Both of them had known of magic's existence on Earth before hand, but neither had ever been confronted with it as the wizarding world was amazingly successful at keeping their existence hidden. Tony was looking at the animal as if he wanted to dissect it to see what made it tick and Thor mainly seemed to be confused, not understanding that what Harry had done was a parody of a stereotypical magician.

"Would anyone like to pet the bunny?" Harry asked with a broad smile, still fully playing the part of performing magician. The smile was dim-witted and bright enough that it would have pleased Gilderoy Lockhart, all of it a part of the role he was playing. He looked over the Avengers and settled on putting the small animal in Steve's hands.

The super soldier seemed a bit startled at being handed the bunny so abruptly, but he quickly cradled it in his hands, where it looked very small, and he couldn't help smiling as its wet nose pressed against his thumb. Pepper walked up to him and had a closer look at the rabbit too, stroking the soft fur on top of its head, she had been appearing to take it all with stride, being a woman used to strange though it was usually of a different kind.

"Are you satisfied now, Mr. Stark?" the wizard asked

"I'm good," Tony replied, his eyes still on the rabbit. "I should be able to start looking into what drives these powers of yours, and if I could build something utilizing the same principles, as it apparently is supposed to be technology we can't understand yet. Though I hope this isn't everything you people can do, it would be awfully lame and kind of useless."

Harry snorted once more, and threw the hat into the air. With a bit of sparkling light the top hat turned back into a small, blue, ceramic bowl, which he caught as it fell back down. "This was just a trick, we can indeed do more," he walked back over to Tony and pressed the bowl into his hands, "a lot more, or have you already forgotten about the," he halted, clearing his throat, uncertain if it was wise to point out that he had stunned one of the avengers, holding a weapon to her neck, "about what I did when I got here?"

"No, I have not," the other man said in answer, looking Harry straight in the eyes now. "I do hope what I dug up on you turns out to be the truth, savoir-boy, I wouldn't want you for an enemy."

The green eyed man inclined his head with a small smile. "I would not desire to make you an enemy either," he said. "The world would much more benefit from the people in this room working together as you did to stop Loki and perhaps one day I will be joining you, because the world will produce individuals who will pose a threat to a peaceful existence and it is up to the strong to defend the freedom of those who are unable to stand up and fight against the great forces of this universe."

"You might have to change your slogan a bit," Tony said dryly, "we already have someone who is overly idealistic in our group and we're not replacing him."

Harry chuckled and Steve who understood that the taunt was directed at him frowned, though he was also glad that Tony wouldn't want to replace him and that some of their differences were beginning to dissolve as they got to know each other, something that he hadn't been sure would happen as their history through Tony's father wasn't the best.

"I wouldn't dream of it," the wizard said. "Here's to hoping that they day when we will need to join forces in battle is far away in the future." As he said this he raised his hand and a glass appeared in it, at the same time glasses popped into existence all around the room, one for each person.

Tony grinned. " _That_  is a trick I can get behind."

.:oOo:.

The Gryffindor Common Room was filled with students, hanging around playing games and doing their homework. Outside the windows the sky was growing dark, still bright though as it was a spring evening. The second year boys had grabbed some seats by the fire, having a game of exploding snap going on, though one of the boys, a thirteen year old with electric blue hair was sprawled out on the floor reading a book, choosing to spend his time much the same way that his father would have when he went to the school thirty years earlier, escaping from the world and all it's problem within fiction and learning.

"Lupin!" An older student had walked in through the portrait hole and the blue-haired boy looked up.

"What is it, Langley?" he asked across the room. Langley was one of the sixth year prefects and she hurriedly walked over to the fire.

"You are to report to the office of the Headmistress, the password is silverweed."

"Oh." The boy got to his feet. Contrary to what would be normal he didn't look worried that he was in trouble, instead there was a different kind of anxiety shining in his eyes. "Where you told why?"

"No," Langley answered reassuringly, "as far as I could tell though, it wasn't anything distinctly bad." It was no secret that Teddy Lupin's guardian was the famous Harry Potter, nor was it a secret that the wizarding hero regularly put himself in dangerous situations and a call to the Headmistress' office could be because of bad news and the prefect didn't want to worry the younger student unnecessarily.

"Thanks," Teddy said. "I'll see you guys later," he told his friends who nodded sympathetically.

"You'll see that everything's okay," one of them said.

"He'll have pulled through this time as well, he always does, and I'm not saying that just because of his name, you've said it yourself enough times."

"Yeah," Teddy muttered, "yeah, I have. Thanks guys."

"You got it. Now get going, Ted."

Teddy nodded and walked over to the portrait hole and sat a course towards Professor McGonagall's office.

His friends didn't know everything, but they had been able to tell that he had been going through something over the past month. They knew that he had been unable to contact his godfather and that the news reported by the daily prophet regarding what was going on in New York had affected him more than most, what they didn't know was the why part and things had to stay that way, at least for the time being.

It was a secret that Harry and in extension the people closest to him knew Loki. Teddy hadn't been able to understand what was going on with seeing the man who, though he was not exactly close to him, had been around a lot through his childhood. He knew the man to be funny and incredibly intelligent and that he and Harry were close because circumstances had brought them together and had allowed their relationship to happen. The young wizard himself could not claim to be close to the god who most of the time was standoffish, superior and cold towards anyone except for Harry and even he could be forced to endure such behaviour from time to time.

His godfather had tried to explain why Loki was like that and for the most part Teddy could understand the reason he was given. Loki didn't want to get hurt and was protecting himself by not getting close to people who from his point of view would be gone in a few heart beats. At least that was what Harry would tell him. The young wizard knew that there was more to it, one part of it being that the god saw them as inferior and not worthy of his time. That Harry hadn't brought that point up was also understandable.

But when it all came down to it he hadn't taken Loki for being the sort of person as to go to such lengths to do something as radical as trying to take over a planet to rule over it, bringing in an army to slaughter the resistance, acting ruthless and uncaring. It might fit with some parts of his personality, and at the same time it seemed farfetched and unbelievable. It wasn't refined or subtle enough and from what he had been able to gather he wouldn't want to risk what he and Harry had, for all this to have happened something must have changed and it couldn't be good.

He would have thought that Harry would confront Loki as soon as he heard what was going on and Teddy had worried that the next thing reported in the news would be some awful battle between them, where one or both of them would get injured or worse. He'd experienced several sleepless nights over such imagined scenarios. Then days passed where Harry had not shown up, staying suspiciously absent while other people managed to take down Loki and put an end to his schemes.

Teddy got to the gargoyle guarding the entrance to Professor McGonagall's office, said the password and rode up on the stairs, thoughts rushing through his head, wondering if there had finally been some word from Harry, if he would be heading to St Mungo's where his godfather would lay bloody in a bed or if it was perhaps something completely different going on and Harry was as absent as he had been for the last month. The last time he had heard from the man was on his thirteenth birthday and that seemed like it had been ages ago. He knocked on the door, which opened for him.

"Harry!" he exclaimed upon seeing the man standing there. His godfather looked a bit harried, but appeared to be otherwise unharmed.

"Hey, Ted," he said and opened his arms, prompting the boy to run to him and accept a tight embrace.

"Why haven't you responded to my owls? Why weren't you in New York? Things have been crazy and I was so worried, I…"

Someone cleared their throat, cutting off the young wizard's rambling questions. "I will leave you two to it. Feel free to make use of my office for as long as you need," said Minerva McGonagall. The witch hadn't changed much since Harry's school days, being as straight-backed as ever and having her dark hair pulled back in just as tight a knot under the pointy witch's hat. The war might have added a fair number of wrinkles to her face, however nothing about her would give away that she was seventy-five years old. She was still a force to be reckoned with and would be so for many years to come.

"Thank you, Professor," Harry said, without letting go of Teddy.

"You are welcome, Mr. Potter." She gave them a rare smile and left.

"I hear that you've been keeping up with the news," Harry stated.

"Yes. And aunt Hermione's been sending me clips from Muggle Papers too and..." he hesitated.

"What is it?"

"I've been sneaking off the grounds so that I could get my phone to work so that I could watch the news."

"Edward," Harry said sternly, "you know you shouldn't do that, it could be dangerous to go off the grounds."

Teddy snorted angrily. "It's what you would have done." Those words earned him no favours and he kept going, trying his best not to be bothered by his godfather's firm expression. "I needed to know what was going on! Things were crazy and I didn't know if I could trust the Prophet to tell the truth about the muggle world. I've seen some clips from the battle of New York. Things were really bad. Those aliens, Loki…"

"I know, I've seen some of it too and I just wish I could have done something."

"What happened with you? What happened in Borneo? Why would Loki do this? Have you been to see him? Did you fight? Did you meet the other Avengers?"

"Slow down, one question at a time."

Teddy shut his mouth and his hair turned an apologetic, mousy brown. Harry loosened his grip on the boy, and placed his hands on his shoulders, sighing before he began to speak. "Life's been stranger than usual as of late. I wish I had the time to answer all your questions, but I don't. I've been rushing around today…" He cleared his throat. "You will be staying with your grandmother this summer."

"You are saying good bye," the younger wizard said emotionlessly, understanding what was going on and not liking it.

"Yes, I am," Harry admitted, swallowing down a lump that was forming in his throat as he saw the child's dejected look.

"Where are you going?"

"Things have turned into a mess and I have to go to Asgard with Loki. I don't know everything that's happened, but since he last visited he's been through hell, which is why he's done this. I have to be there for him if anything is ever to be the same again and I want them to be. I will fight for the chance that thing can turn okay again."

"So he did kill all those people. He wanted to?"

"It's complicated, Teddy. I don't like it a bit more than you do, but I have to try and understand, I owe him and myself that much. Now his brother also knows of my existence and I can't keep hiding."

Teddy nodded. He did understand, not that it made things easier. "You'll be back though, won't you?"

"Of course." Harry didn't sound all that convincing saying it. Teddy could see that he was slightly afraid. Of what he didn't know. He knew too little of Asgard and its people. He had to trust that Harry was telling the truth though and that he would come back.

"I'll miss you," he said, initiating another hug, feeling secure with familiar and strong arms around him. It wasn't that he was a little boy anymore, but his godfather that he loved as a father was always putting himself in dangerous situation, before though he had gone in with the odds in his favour, being stronger and more durable than most anything found on Earth, now though he would be leaving for another dimension and he would face people that were stronger and more experienced than him.

"I'll miss you too, son. I love you. And I promise you that I'll be back, nothing will be able to keep me away. I promise."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN 4th November 2013:
> 
> Sorry about the wait. I was stuck a few sentences into this chapter, not knowing how to continue, luckily inspiration came along the other day in the form of a film. Let me exclaim (yes, it's meant to be exclaim not explain):
> 
> Oh merciful gods of my ancestors', who have been artfully modified for our entertainment and played by talented actors: I love you!
> 
> Yep, I've been to see Thor: The Dark World and I have bought another ticket, meaning that I will see it for a second time in less than a day. If you can't already tell I thought that the movie was great. I really liked it. It felt grand. To me it was epic in a way similar to LotR just because Asgard is absolutely beautiful and this time around we get to see it. The world just feels so expansive.
> 
> Also Thor is a lot more dynamic and likable than he was in the first movie, same goes for Jane Foster and then there is the character who steals the show like the mischief maker he is. Loki. I didn't think I could get more onto the bandwagon of his, but I was wrong. He is the best. I don't think I've spoiled anything, so here comes a spoiler, that isn't a spoiler, just because I can't tell you the spoiler I would like to shout to the heavens: Sea bass, sea bass, sea bass, sea bass. Yeah, you'll get it once you've seen the movie, and you'll think that I'm lame.
> 
> Anyway, I think I will follow Thor 2 partially in this story, but by the time that becomes an issue I think most of you will have seen the film. I will of course have to do things differently, as it is for every fanfiction writer when more cannon content comes out. I can also add that my estimation of how many chapters this story was going to be was so very wrong with 5-9 parts. Nah, we'll have to double it at least the way I see it now.
> 
> I would also like to say thank you to everyone who's reading the story, I'm amazed that there are so many of you. I'm glad that I've been able to write a story that you like and I hope that you'll continue to do so.
> 
> Let me know what you thought of the chapter!


	7. The Road

Fury had shown up around the time Harry had conjured the drinks and the Director had expressed his exasperation with the wizard, not that there was much he could do about it, the damage had already been done and all things considered it had not gone as bad as it could have. No one had been maimed and the Avengers seemed to accept him. All he could do was to confirm what he knew about the man from their past interactions, being able to assure the members of the team that Harry could be trusted, defusing the bomb before it could even be assembled.

Harry had been quick to leave after that, glad that he could part on amicable terms with the group of powerful and resourceful individuals. He left knowing that he had a lot that needed to be done in under twenty-four hours. Before he left he had just made sure to tell Fury that he would indeed be going to Asgard, as he understood that it was necessary for a number of reasons, and that he would do his best to represent the human race in a respectable way when he was not forced to represent himself and his actions. Having him represent humanity in relations to an advanced civilisation was perhaps not ideal, yet it was what it was and Fury had grudgingly admitted that Harry was not the worst man possible for the job, even with this new development and the uncertainty surrounding it. This had pleased Harry and added to his determination.

Harry had additionally asked the leader of SHIELD to inform their mutual contacts of his upcoming absence, making him able to cross a few people of the list of people he had to tell himself.

He'd visited Minister Shacklebolt again, a visit that went fairly easy as the man had already been briefed about the situation and all Harry had to do was fill in the rest of the gaps. He left the Ministry feeling fairly confident about the situation he was leaving behind. Shacklebolt had proved to be a competent statesman; leading the community out of the war and into a better future and this would be no different. Harry didn't fancy himself such a big player that he was indispensible; that none withstanding it was a comfort to know that he was leaving things in good hands.

Next he'd gone to the Supreme Mugwump and told him what was going on, once more forced to reveal what he was and what that meant, though only for wizarding kind at large, choosing not to focus much on how it affected him personally.

Luckily the man trusted him after having known him for a handful of years and he said that in coming meetings a team dedicated to finding out about the ancient magical civilisation that had existed would be put together. Some sites of interest were already known, but no recourses had been put to it in documented history as is it was deemed unprofitable and of little immediate importance as well as very dangerous. With the expansion of their known world things would be changing and as a faction of people on Earth who were intimately linked to it all, it was crucial that they be prepared.

The Supreme Mugwump also confirmed that as needed Harry was allowed to represent the International Confederation of Wizards. The magical people of Earth trusted him after his services to them and although the man was alone at making the decision at this point, he felt confident that had it been put to a vote the outcome would have been the same.

Harry had also reported to his contacts in MI5, MI6 and other various agencies he had a foot in. All in all he had been forced to flick back and forth across the globe for the better part of the day informing everyone who had to know about his prolonged absence. In the end though, it was saying goodbye to his friends and family that had proved to be the hardest.

It was the hardest because Ron and Hermione were the people he had always been able to depend on, the people who had stood by his side for the majority of his life. They were what he would miss most about his home on Earth, both now when he would leave for a brief time, at least that what he was hoping for, and later when time, aging and ultimately death would separate them.

Saying farewell to them was also the hardest because they were unwilling to see him go, being the ones who knew most about the current situation. They had met Loki, they knew him somewhat and they had worried about both him and Harry during his year long absence. They had lived through great tension when things went down in New York and Harry remained impossible to contact. They would be among the few people to know the full truth about where he was going and why, they were also the only people who really knew why it could and would be dangerous for him to go. Loki had all along been reluctant to have him go to Asgard for several reasons and with the younger Prince in disfavour and Harry connected to him it could prove to be more dangerous than it would have been before.

They had made him promise to not do anything stupid, to try and accept what he would meet in the new realm so that he could find a home in Asgard, as they knew that it wouldn't be good for him to remain on Earth once the people he had grown up with where gone. In turn they had promised to do everything they could about the situation from Earth.

Hermione decided that she would be joining the team researching the ancient wizards when she heard from Harry that such a project would be started. It was granted that her application would be accepted as she was one of the people on Earth who were the most knowledgeable about contemporary Asgard and she had a brilliant mind which would be useful to any scientific investigation all that none withstanding.

When Harry protested saying that she shouldn't give up what he was working with for him she had just shaken her head with a fond smile, telling him that she would always be ready to drop anything to help a friend, especially such an old and close friend and this research might be the most important thing she could currently spend her time on to contribute to their society, as it was crucial that they learn more about the other realms now when contact was being re-established and looking to history was always a wise move as you can learn from past mistakes and besides that, she was curious. Ron through his capacity as Head Auror of the British Ministry would also do everything he could to keep the peace and inform others of what they needed to know. The two of them would be able to keep the standings should anything go sideways and they would gather any and all relevant information Harry might need upon his return.

Harry had left them after sharing hugs and tense smiles, waving at the young Rose and Hugo who were held in their parents' arms, exiting their garden and apparating away to the gates of Hogwarts where his greatest challenge yet waited.

Saying goodbye to Teddy was what had cost him the most. He felt responsible for the boy. He  _was_  responsible for him and had been so ever since he petitioned to get full custody over him from Andromeda when Teddy was six years old. It had perhaps not been the smartest thing to do what with all that was changing in his life, and with Loki becoming a part of it. Now it was the boy who would pay the price, yet Harry couldn't regret it. He tried telling himself that he was doing the best he could and it had been more than anyone had ever done for him. He had been there through his godson's childhood, and though he had wanted to continue to be a part of Teddy's life for many years to come, it was at least something. Because of the responsibility he felt towards Teddy he also knew that he had true reason to not do anything foolish as he needed to return for the boy's sake.

When the time to depart for Asgard arrived Harry hadn't had a moment of rest. He had not slept since before he called Director Fury, demanding to know where Loki was kept. It was only because he was no longer human that he was able to go on like this, his changed body requiring much less sleep and food than he had needed before the Hallows came into his possession, finding him to be worthy of his Asgardian heritage and their creator's respect.

His mind was also able to deal with much more which was how he wasn't breaking down from heartbreak at leaving his family and friends behind, and it was the reason as to why he wasn't letting anxiety and the stirring excitement he was feeling at the prospect of at last being allowed to see Asgard get the better of him.

Harry arrived back in New York appearing by the spot they had agreed on the previous day. He took care to use the form of transportation Loki had taught him as it didn't make any sound, though he did prefer apparition as it to this day was more familiar and also came easier to him. It was the first time in a long time that he had used this way of travelling, luckily it went well, though it did grate a bit on his mind. He had taken to falling back on the wizarding way of travel after Loki's disappearance the previous year for some hidden reason he wasn't going to explore, and he was a bit rusty which didn't help when he had never truly grasped the concept to begin with. Nevertheless he had made it across the Atlantic in one piece without drawing any unwanted attention.

Shrouded in an illusion rendering him invisible he walked up on the bridge from where they would be departing and took a stand by the edge. He leant against the stone railing, looking out over the scene in front of him and just trying to appreciate his last moments on Earth for who knows how long.

The sun was shining brilliantly in the sky, the trees were green, the water was playing in the fountain that was nearby, a lake filled with rowboats behind it and people were walking around enjoying the day, the horror of the attacks already forgotten to them. It was strange that life could go on, but he had seen it before so it did not surprise him as much and in its own way it was a comfort to know that people still lived their lives, that what had passed had not been worse than that it was possible for normalcy to continue.

He was once more wearing his Asgardian armour, leather boots, billowing cloak and all. Had he been visible the attire would surely have earned him a fair number of strange looks, not that he would have cared much as he no longer got fazed by small scale attention. The armour might stand out on Earth, but it was only practical for him to wear it as soon enough anything else would look as strange as the armour did now. It also made him feel better, because it was a confirmation to that he did belong in the realm he was going to, he only hoped that the people there would feel the same way. Thor's reaction to his existence had been better than he could have hoped for and if he had read the situation right he would have the Odinson's support which had to count for something.

He had everything he would need in form of personal items shrunk down and stored on his person. It wasn't that he didn't believe any essentials needed would be provided to him on Asgard, but he felt comfortable knowing that he had things covered. He knew how vital it could be from the war when they had been dependent on what was kept in Hermione's beaded purse and it never hurt to be prepared.

Not long after he had arrived, a couple of sleek black cars with the SHIELD logo printed on the doors drove up. Men in generic, black suits stepped outside and looked around the area, not being able to see him they proceeded to clear and secure the perimeter leaving him alone.

Soon after that the Avengers arrived. The Captain astride a motorbike, Stark in a wine red sport car, and the rest in additional SHIELD-issued, black cars. Harry held in a small gasp at seeing Loki fold out from the backseat of one of them. It was a surreal image, much like seeing him in, for want of a better word, normal clothing for the first time some six years prior when they had ventured out into the muggle world together for the first time. In the wizarding world casual Asgardian clothing didn't stand out much so it had been some time before Loki had been required to wear normal clothing which had looked rather out of place on him, but that might have more to do with Harry's complete lack of fashion sense than anything else as Loki had soon managed to attain more formal muggle attire which fitted him much better.

However it wasn't seeing two godly beings fold out of a small car that truly got to Harry. It was the addition to the shackles around Loki's wrists. When he had visited him in the holding cell the previous day there had been the magic inhibitors, looking similar to normal handcuffs, sitting around his wrists with the chain holding them together, now though, a muzzle had been added. It sat across his face, hiding his mouth from view and it hurt to see the man like that, not that he couldn't understand the need for precaution. Even after giving a promise to him of betterment and change Loki should not be trusted; it was too soon to say if he  _could_  be relied upon. Harry wanted to believe that he was the same man he'd known, but even though he had proclaimed his love he didn't feel sure. It was too soon to say. And he would never ask that the other parties involved take his word for that Loki would not betray them again.

Loki had changed, that much he did know, something within him had broken following the revelation of his birth, his actions since that moment showed as much and only time would be able to tell how much he had changed. Harry would not give up on him though, not yet, but some small part of him was beginning to prepare for an eventual fall out, no matter how much he wanted to deny thinking of such things, he had to protect himself and the rest of the people he cared about.

As Loki was led forth by Thor, the Trickster's gaze roamed and his eyes found Harry's, the illusion unable to fool him. Harry gave him a sympathetic smile and allowed himself to become visible again. The Agents, Banner and the Captain tensed up at his sudden appearance while Thor was unfazed by the action. "Son of James," he greeted loudly.

"My Prince," Harry called back, tilting his upper body down in a shallow bow. There wasn't enough familiarity between them yet to let go of formal address, and a more strict protocol had to be followed after Harry's show of submission the previous day. In time if things went well they would give up titles, exchanging them for first names, when the situation did not demand otherwise, for now though they were stuck like this and though Loki made no audible protest his eyes narrowed at hearing Harry defer to Thor and Harry felt certain that there would be a discussion about that at a later date.

"Woah! You were there all along? Maybe magic does have a few uses after all," Tony said walking towards Harry.

"Did you doubt that?" Steve muttered to himself though Harry had no problem catching it.

"How does that invisibility work?" Tony asked, managing to sound both eager and completely uncaring at the same time in a way he seemed to have going for him, something Harry had encountered in people of his sort, people with money.

"Mr. Stark," Harry began, "yes, I arrived here a short while ago, before any of you showed up. This was an illusion, manipulating photons to show what I wish."

"Are there other ways of staying invisible?"

"Of course."

"Tell me about them?"

"I don't think now's the time, Stark," Natasha interrupted.

"If not now, then when? They're going to a different dimension full of demigod like people, and who knows when any of them will be back, if they'll be back at all."

Harry's face twitched. He didn't like being reminded of the risks he was taking and the unknown time he would be gone should everything go well. He was dealing with the situation, but hearing Stark talk about it in such a flippant tone wasn't aiding his resolve. "I can give you the quick version," he said, wanting to keep the conversation going and indulging Stark could prove to be a good thing. It would help build up a bond and the man was a brilliant engineer who Harry would bet to be the one discovering where the lines between magic and science went, once and for all showing that they were the same thing.

"We have illusions, which are accomplished by manipulating photons. Then there is transfiguration which is what the discipline about turning something into something else is called, you more or less changing the properties of the materials themselves by manipulating the structure of the atoms. When concerning invisibility transfiguration is used by altering the way the object you want to keep hidden so that the surface reflects light differently. The final way I know of uses the mind arts. You make things invisible by affecting the perception of the person who is watching, tricking their brain to see whatever you want."

"Sure we don't have time for the long explanation?" Stark asked eagerly, eyes shining with excitement that he no longer cared to hide.

"Not at this time, friend Tony," Thor said. "Go assist Erik."

"Fine."

From there on everyone's attention was on getting things into position and ready for departure. Tony had a metal briefcase with the Tesseract. He, Bruce and Dr. Erik Selvig, who Harry recognized because he had studied up on what had happened before he got to New York the first time around worked on preparing the device. The remaining Avengers kept their vigil; mostly looking suspiciously at Loki, though Harry got a few assessing glances from them as well. Agent Barton especially seemed to not like him, which was understandable from what Loki had done to him and the man wouldn't like anyone associated as intimately with the trickster as Harry was.

They worked effectively and within a couple of minutes the device which had been build over the last couple of weeks to utilize the Tesseract energy was ready. To Harry it looked rather flimsy, but he was sure that it was a deceptive appearance. Alloys gleaming both golden and silver made up the ends. Between the metal sat a glass cylinder containing the energy cube.

There were only two handles as the original plan had been for two passengers, but it would work just as well for three, the energy of the blue cube being massive enough to handle that and plenty more.

Thor held it steady in one hand, his hammer Mjolnir in the other, waiting for Loki to grab on. The prisoner was not looking like he wanted to though and Harry stepped forward taking a grip, assuming that it would prompt Loki to do the same. Contrary to that assumption it made him hesitate more.

He stepped so that he was facing Harry and seemed to speak with his eyes. Feeling a prod against his mind Harry kept his face carefully blank and allowed Loki's mental voice to be heard. It surprised him that the man was able to use magic as it was with his hands bound and abilities bound, as well as exhaustion playing in. Still, if anyone could get past such obstacles it would be Loki.

" _I know I agreed to this_ ," he said, words soft yet full of intent as they were channelled into Harry's mind, " _but I must state again that I do not think it to be wise. We may be walking towards your end as well as mine."_

" _I'm aware_ ," Harry answered him tensely.

" _Then you should be willing to rethink this. Think about what you may be sacrificing; your family, a life together, freedom. If you choose it we can be away from here in the blink of an eye. They wouldn't be able to stop you. Let go of the Tesseract and transport us away._ "

"Brother," Thor interrupted their silent conversation, his word a warning, the choice of address earning him a brief glare. The surrounding people were beginning to show tenseness too, preparing for an eventual turn of events. It went faster to speak mentally, but not so much faster that it wasn't detectable that something was going on between them.

" _Choose quickly, Harry_."

" _It is not safe to go_ ," Harry said in agreement, " _but escaping now is not safe either. We would be hunted down and I could not stand to live as a fugitive. We must face this and we'll do so of our own free will with our heads held high._ "

Reluctant acceptance and fondness was transmitted over the link. " _Very well."_  Loki stepped so that they were standing close together and with a deliberate jerky motion he gripped the handle, hand brushing against Harry's.

Thor, understanding more than Loki would have given him credit for, gave Harry a brief smile. He then turned his eyes to his other companions giving a final nod in farewell, the small gesture showing his gratitude and respect for the people he had fought along side, and who had sided with him, aiding Asgard with a delicate matter.

Harry didn't care much about the interaction. He didn't know the Avengers or the astrophysicist and he had already said his goodbye to his birth planet. He kept his eyes firmly locked on the blue-glowing cube and his mind concentrating on the sensation of having Loki so close, drawing strength from that, feeling the skin of his hand against his own, smooth and just a little bit colder than his own. The sensation drawing his mind back to before, before his disappearance last year when things had been easier.

Thor turned his handle, activating the device and the Tesseract. Everything around them was tinted blue as the cube's energy enveloped them. The sensation was less jarring than Harry had expected. It was smoother than a Portkey, it was completely neutral concerning the environment contrasting the heat of Floo and it could not be compared to apparition or even the shifting through space-time that was Loki's preferred means of transport. They were simply bathed in the energy of the Tesseract, the blue light moving around them and coming close, lapping against their bodies like soft, tepid waves of water. Outside their small sphere reigned darkness, no stars or any other light was visible and very soon it was over, a floor once more existing beneath their feet.

Harry didn't stumble at the impact the way he once would have, landing as gracefully as his two companions. Immediately after the blue glow dissipated Harry took in his new surroundings and it was not hard to recognize the room. Loki had prepared him well, both by telling stories and showing images. They had arrived at the Heimdall's Observatory which also held the gateway for the Bifrost.

"And so they return," said a deep, calm voice, "the heir and the prodigal son."

"Heimdall," Thor greeted, and Harry took a look at the man standing on a raised dais in the middle of the spherical chamber that was glinting of gold. The man stood straight and resolute, hands clasped over the pommel of a large sword. His armour and horned helmet was as golden as the structure around him, making for a grand sight that amazed Harry in a way Loki's illusions hadn't been able to.

Heimdall's golden eyes were locked on Harry and when the wizard met his gaze he felt like the guardian was seeing through him, assessing him, a spark in those eyes that was reminiscent of Dumbledore. "I welcome you to Asgard, Harry Potter son of James, and I wish you luck, before long you may need it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN 18th November 2013:
> 
> We have arrived to Asgard. I though that I would tell you a bit more from Asgard in this chapter, but alas the preparation fro the trip took longer than anticipated on my part. We have entered the Realm where spoilers of the second Thor movie can come to exist as it is such a large part of what I know of this universe now, having (I am embarrassed and proud at the same time to admit it) seen it three times. As I have said before I will not follow it exactly, but I will draw inspiration from the situations presented in it, and from a little bit that I've written I will steal a few lines of dialogue, along the same line as I had Loki ask for a drink in the first chapter.
> 
> I could say a lot more, but I shall refrain from a long(er) author's note. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, if you did, or didn't I'd love to hear it and why you felt that way. Otherwise; until next time!


	8. The Realm

Being back in Asgard made Loki at once feel great joy, and great anger, all of it overlaid with a deafening numbness. It was strange and he would prefer not to dwell on it, doing so would only make the numbness dissipate like mist under intense sunlight and he was not prepared to face his own feelings. He had already done a fair bit of soul-searching following his decision to tell Thor about Harry and then meeting the wizard again, forced to explain to them what had happened he had also been forced to face some of his own demons, he had filled his quota. He was not satisfied with the decisions he had made or the outcome that had come from them, but as Harry had pointed out it all lay in the past and he should not focus all his energy on it, instead moving forth, and to do that he had to remember and evaluate the past. For them to believe in him again he had to be honest. He could never forget and that meant that he did not see himself forgiving anytime soon.

Loki listened to the warning Heimdall gave Harry. Its content didn't surprise him. He had not told Harry as much as he perhaps should regarding what he knew about the relations between their two peoples, focusing instead on things that were easy for him to understand as they existed in the cultures of earth, the reluctance to accept same sex relationships as being full worthy and not just a pastime warriors gave into when in the field, and then insisting on that he wanted to take things slow for Harry's sake. Becoming something completely different was not to be scoffed at. Harry had gone through great biological changes and even before that his life had been filled with one struggle after another. He deserved peace and time to adapt. Additionally to become a true Asgardian he had to learn their culture, such things takes time even with an enhanced mind compared to a human.

What he had refrained from discussing, only glossing over the subject, was what he knew about what had happened between the wizards and the Asgardians a long time ago. Not that he knew much. When he had been young the subject had interested him and he had searched for information in the vast royal library. Many hours and days of searching had left him nearly empty handed and it was Frigga who had at last told him a little about why that was, if only to keep his searching from the Allfather who she claimed would not be pleased by it.

The information was lacking because nearly every document recording said history had been destroyed and what remained besides fragments of history turned into children's stories were kept under lock and key alongside other dangerous artefacts in the vaults.

He had never been able to determine why the records had been destroyed; Frigga had been either unwilling or actually unable to tell him. However that these measures had been taken spoke of a piece of history that the ruler had wanted forgotten and he had dragged it up from obscurity in a very direct way by creating the Hallows and changing Harry's life, it would not be appreciated now that it was being found out.

During his brief time as Asgard's ruler the previous year he had taken some time to study these tomes and what little they had revealed had not pleased him. There had been a ban for all visits to Earth for several millennia in the backwash of whatever had happened, it had only been lifted during the Jotun wars out of necessity and then it had not been deemed necessary to enforce them again as their old allies could no longer be found.

Loki let go of the Tesseract and reached up to remove the muzzle. "This is a smaller welcoming committee than I had expected, I would have thought that the Allfather would want me contained," he said dryly, no one trying to stop him from speaking now. They knew and he knew that there was nothing he could do now to escape. He had had his last chance the moment before he grabbed on to the Tesseract back in New York and Harry had made the decision.

"They will be here momentarily," Heimdall answered him. Indeed as he looked out through the archway he could see a company of guards walking down the Bifrost in their direction, their pace quick.

As they waited for the guards to arrive he took to studying Harry. The wizard was frowning and had been so since Heimdall spoke to him. The warning shouldn't come as a surprise, though Loki could not fault him for his decision to come to Asgard. It was in Harry's nature to be forward, to be honourable and honest when possible. Only when lives other than his own were at stake would he be willing and able to deceive and in this case it was submitting that would keep the majority of the people he cared about safe.

"Has father been informed of the development on Midgard?" Thor asked.

"I have passed on my observations," Heimdall said in reply.

"And has he said anything about what is to happen now? Things are not all of what we had expected."

"No, The Allfather has not divulged his intentions to me, though I can venture to make an assumption."

"Your assumptions are something I trust."

"He is set in his views," Heimdall began in his normal calm and deep voice, "though the Queen is doing her best to persuade him to keep an open mind. The end result is as of yet unclear even to me. Things will depend on the word of all involved parties. All three of you should remember this. It is the best advice anyone can give you. What you chose to do now as much as what lies in the past will decide the outcome of recent events."

Loki did listen, and he did assimilate the words, he had not much hope though and had it not been for Harry he wouldn't have bothered with trying. Yet again Harry would be what other would see him using as an excuse for his actions, though only because they weren't willing to see the full truth. Harry guided his actions, but he would not hide behind that claim. He was not sorry for what he had done; he could only explain what had led him onto this path and make the people around them see that they were at fault too, for they deserved to know and share in the guilt. A villain isn't born, he is created and the creator should know to take part of the blame, to accept responsibility. If he was to learn from past events so should they, only then would it matter what he himself did.

"It is beautiful is it not?" He noticed that Thor had gone to stand next to Harry who had moved so that he had a clear view over the scenery outside of the observatory.

"Yes," Harry said simply. Loki looked out through the archway as well, trying to imagine how it was for Harry seeing the Realm Eternal for the first time. "It reminds me of the time when I first lay eyes on the first place I called a home."

Loki walked up to them and reached for Harry's hand. "While Hogwarts will still be there, we will make this into your home." He did not truly believe the words, not now with a troop headed their way, but he wished to make the words true, and will can be everything. He could yet find a way to reclaim his rightful place and then Harry wouldn't have to be afraid of anything. His words would become the truth.

"I know," the wizard answered.

The Rainbow Bridge went on towards the distance, the great city of Asgard rising over it, snow capped mountains by the horizon, a blue sky that was unable to hide stars and galaxies a giant dome above, a crystal blue sea beneath the bridge, calm with only a few rippling waves, gold and bright colours domination the imagery. It was beautiful, like nothing else Loki had ever laid his eyes on, and it stilled filled him with a lingering sense of awe, so he could very well imagine how Harry would feel. This was the world they both belonged to; he because he'd grown up there, been nurtured on this soil and despite his recent actions he had bled in the defence of this land and Harry because of his heritage.

Their reprieve was interrupted as the company of guards finished their approach. There were sixteen of them, led by a commanding officer, making seventeen in total. "Shackle the prisoner," the officer commanded. Two guards approached him, Loki allowed them to do so, knowing that resistance would give him nothing.

"Is this truly necessary?" he Thor asked, watching with a frown.

"Oh, brother, I didn't think you cared," Loki quipped.

"Loki," Harry said with a warning tone.

"Right, right," he muttered. "I'll behave."

The troop leader observed their interaction suspiciously before he answered Thor's question. "It is the Allfather's orders. He has asked that you come speak with him. He and the Queen await you in the Throne Hall. We will escort your companions."

Thor nodded. "And what of the Tesseract?"

"It is to stay here. Six of my men will stay here to guard it along with Heimdall. The King deems it unnecessary to place it in the vault now as it is to be used to repair the Bifrost."

"Very well. Take care of your actions Brother, and I shall see you soon Jameson." Thor placed the device containing the Tesseract in the waiting hands of Heimdall and proceeded to spin Mjolnir in his hand, flying through the sky towards the palace.

Meanwhile the guards had finished with adding additional chains to bind Loki. There was a new shackles around his ankles, tied together by an additional chain, with one more leading up to a chain placed around his waist with attachment coming off from it that the two guards held. There would be no escaping now had he even wanted to try anymore.

"Are we off then?" he asked lightly, smiling in a way that showed that he wasn't bothered by the situation, though the truth was a different matter. "We have a long walk ahead of us."

.:oOo:.

Thor breathed in the air of his home, smelling the cold of the snow that travelled on the wind, sensing the scent of flowers and of the sea. It felt good to be back. When his father used dark energy to send him to Midgard neither of them had known if it would work and they had been in the dark about what would happen if he got there safely. All they knew was that Loki was there, that he had stolen the Tesseract and that he was planning on using it for something which was undoubtedly sinister.

After a year of thinking that his brother was dead it had been both a blessing and a curse to find out that Loki lived. He hadn't wanted Loki to die, but knowing that he was on Midgard had troubled Thor. He knew from the words that had been spoken when they fought that Loki no longer regarded their family in the same light, that Loki had despised him for some time and that he would have no qualms about taking revenge by hurting the humans seeing it as a possible chance to harm him and show him that he was not as powerful as he wished to be. If he couldn't protect the people he cared about, that he had vowed to keep safe then his brother would have reached a goal. Or so he had thought.

Then he had arrived on Earth, crashing hard onto the ground, a crater being created from the force of the dark energy that had brought him there, but he was alive and he had been able to track down his brother. He had met a hateful creature much as he had expected and what had gone down next followed the pattern. Everything was as he thought it would be up until the point when Loki gasped out a name as the Hulk was crushing him in his fist.  _Harry._

The existence of this man had changed things. He had been in the picture for years without any of them realizing; shrouded in secrecy as if he was another of Loki's tricks. How any of them had gone ignorant for so long was baffling. How come none of them had noticed the times when Loki must have been absent for days at a time? How had his brother managed to keep a so important relationship from some of the most powerful beings in the cosmos? From both Heimdall with his exceptional sight and the Allfather whose very essence was part of Asgard, not to mention his family and his friends who should have been close enough to notice his absence and that he had found someone. It made Thor question how long ago his brother had stopped thinking of them as family and for how long they'd also been undeserving of that title.

There had been intense rivalry between them from the very start. He knew that he himself had been brash and rather arrogant until very recently. He had been everything expected in an heir of Asgard, following their culture's warrior ideal without ever having to try. It came effortlessly to him. To Loki none of it was easy. He was a master combatant, but not simply by nature, he had not enjoyed it in the same manner as Thor did, but despite that he had worked hard for it. Sadly it had not been enough. People around them had perhaps been able to sense that he was different and though their mother's encouragement and tutelage in the magical arts had been something good it had also come between Loki and other people, making him more different than he had already been.

Magic and trickery was not considered to be something honest and honourable warriors consorted with. It was better left for scholars and women, those not strong enough to fight with brawn. He himself had harboured the same views for so long that it was hard to turn around on that way of seeing things, but it was when Fandral had been captured by enemies of Asgard, as he was on a mission to try and extract information by infiltrating them, that things had changed. During that quest they had learned to appreciate each other and their respective abilities. They had come to realize that they were stronger together, that their different skill sets could be compatible. The rivalry had remained, but as far as Thor had been concerned it no longer had a destructive effect on them, it no longer inspired any form of hatred. The rivalry was friendly and worked so that they both strove to become better. They had gotten closer than ever before, they had gotten to know each other better and that was something they valued greatly.

Lately Thor had learnt that things had not remained that way. Jealousy had festered within his brother and it had reared its ugly head when Loki's true parentage was revealed. It had only been a year since his brother changed. That wasn't a long time for people like them. And the day since he had learnt about this new angle was even less time to come to terms with matters. Harry's existence cemented things from their childhood. Loki had been lonely and isolated and he had striven to find a way to remedy that, in that regard it didn't matter that it had only come to fruition a handful of years ago, ages after the process had been started. That Loki had felt that way was wrong and a failing on the part of his friends and family, and Thor could only be happy that someone else had been there for him over the last few years and that there was someone who would continue to be there for him now, someone who had not failed him.

It was Harry who was their hope now. From the brief interaction Thor had witnessed between the wizard and his brother he knew that Harry was the one who stood the highest chance of reaching through to Loki, he was the one who could bring his brother back and he was determined to convince his father of this, determined to make Odin give them both a fair chance.

Jameson was an interesting person whom he looked forward to getting to know better. The information the Man of Iron had been able to provide spoke of an honourable heart and Director Fury respected him. Earning his brother's trust also spoke for him, as did his willingness to come to Asgard and though Loki might not have thought him able of it he had noticed their silent communication. He had sometimes observed the same happening between Loki and their mother so he knew how to recognize the signs. In that moment the son of James had convinced his brother again that they were right to go to Asgard. He would do his best to see the man protected. If his brother was to fall in paying for his crimes against the peoples of the Nine Realms his partner should not fall with him by association.

He landed by the gates to the Throne Hall, walking down the long corridor, past the many richly decorated pillars that reached towards the ceiling high above. His father, King Odin was seated on the throne, his spear, Gugnir in his hand and his Queen Frigga standing by the bottom of the stairs leading up to the throne.

"Mother," Thor said with a smile accepting her embrace, the soft floral scent that always surrounded her soothing him and making him feel at home.

"I am glad to see that you are well," she said and pecked his cheek before standing back once more.

He nodded and faced his father next.

Odin stood and walked down the steps, touching Gugnir to each step, making an ominous echoing sound permeate through the Hall. "You've completed the mission I gave you?"

"I have. The Tesseract is with Heimdall and Loki is being brought into the city."

"That is well. Now follows new tasks. As soon as the Bifrost is repaired I shall need you to venture out into the Nine Realms with our forces to restore the peace."

"Of course."

"I estimate that it will be ten days until it is repaired, even with the power of the Tesseract it is delicate work."

"I understand."

"Good. Do you then have anything else to say or do you wish to retire?"

"What will happen to Loki?"

"He will be punished for his actions."

"And do you actually know what they are?" Thor continued before his father could interrupt with an answer. "We must rethink the situation. I have received new insight into the situation that has to be taken into consideration. There is more to why he has down these things. When the battle was finished I gave my word to the people who had stood by my side that Loki would receive a punishment fitting for his crimes and I stand by that. Before he can rightly be sentenced everything needs to be known. We should not only consider what has been done, but also his motives."

"You plead mercy for him?"

"I would not see him returned to a privileged life at the turn of a hand, but I think you should hear him out and try to see past the harsh words he will no doubt utter to you. I am beginning to understand that he was hurt by finding out about his heritage and I suspect that he was not ready for the responsibilities that came with this throne, no matter how he would claim differently. Father, do what you think is best for all. In the long run that will also mean that you need to take Loki's best into consideration. He may be willing to turn around and accept responsibility, I only ask you to allow him the opportunity to reform."

Odin did not appear to be pleased by Thor's words.

"You speak wisely," said Frigga, stepping forth and placing a hand on her son's arm, "and I am in agreement with you."

Odin sighed. "You both wish to see what is no longer there and it is clouding your judgment."

"A day ago I would have said the same, but I spoke with him, without him sneering at me, I saw a softer side and I can tell that my brother is still there."

"So you think that everything should be forgiven?"

"No, I did not say that. I only plead for you to take every angle into consideration."

"Then I shall, I shall consider the rules he have broken by dragging up the past very carefully."

"What?" Thor asked uncomprehendingly at his father's dark tone.

"The man you have brought with you should never have had anything to do with us."

"Jameson? Did you know that the wizards of Midgard still lived?" The Allfather's expression said it all. "Then why have we not kept contact? They could have been valuable allies if any of the stories are true. They are also our kin. We have an obligation towards them. Are we not the self proclaimed protectors of  _all_  of the Nine Realms?"

"What happened between our peoples was a curse to all, I would not have seen it brought back into the light," Odin said in an evading answer.

"Father, what happened?"

"This is not the time for that discussion. All that is left for us is to deal with the situation. I know that Harry Potter asked you for the right to become a citizen of Asgard, he asked to be put through a trial of passage to prove his worth. You accepted and I will not ask you to go back on your word and as what has happened to him is not his fault I agree that he is to be given this chance. Like I said, it will take ten days to restore the Bifrost, when the bridge is ready it will be up to you to lead our troops in assistance of our allies around the Nine Realms, the chaos that has erupted as a result of our absence has to be put to an end. Until then you are to observe Harry Potter. Evaluate him. Find out from him what he knows about Loki. Find out if this man is an asset or a liability, once we know that I will assess his situation. Harry Potter is being escorted to the healers for the first part of this evaluation, go there."

"Father, I don't-"

"Do as I say, you will have the opportunity to say more later. Go."

.:oOo:.

Loki kept silent as he was led along the Rainbow Bridge, two guards holding onto the chains that were attached to his waist. The only thing he saw as being good about the situation was that no chains had been put on Harry. While six guards were moving around him, only four had taken formation around the wizard, and the troop leader was at the front paying them next to no attention. It was a good thing, it meant that Harry was to be given a chance, that he for now was regarded as a guest, although it was a guest who did not have any extended freedom and was without any opportunity of leaving, not that anyone could leave easily at this time with the Bifrost still broken. He himself was not normally limited to the bridge, but Harry was as he had not yet gotten so far with implanting his knowledge to Harry as to teach the wizard about the secret pathways between the realms. He had thought that that particular knowledge could wait as he had had no desire for Harry to leave Midgard.

As they had crossed about half the Bridge Loki grew bored and Harry's tense expression bothered him, so he decided that he would just ignore the guards and act as if he and Harry were alone. Pulling at the chains he drew to the left and though he was given a few glares he could now walk next to the wizard.

"Is it what you thought it would be?"

Harry gave him a curious look, glanced around at the guards, who while displeased made no move to stop them from walking together, and answered. "It's magnificent of course. It might be a bit too soon to say more as I've not had the full experience. I am a bit surprised that we are walking all the way."

"It's an opportunity to see the sights and we wouldn't like for you to be overwhelmed," Loki said with extravagant intonation, holding his hands out in an equally excessive gesture making the chains clatter.

Harry snorted. "Of course," he said in mock agreement, "that's what this is about, it's not at all meant as a way to humiliate the two of us, as we are forced to walk though the city for everyone to gape at."

"That is part of it, yes," he conceded easily, "that does not mean we have to behave like animals led to slaughter. You told me to keep my head high and that is what we will do. This is the first time you've laid eyes on the Realm that is to be your home, that  _is_ our rightful home whatever happens. I would not have this experience diminished for you by some wrong doings on my part that Odin sees fit to punish."

"We're calling it wrong doings now?" Harry asked critically.

"Why yes," he replied lightly.

"Is that not to  _diminish_  things?" the wizard continued in a cross tone.

"Do you wish to argue about it again?" Loki asked harshly, his mood switching with the speed of lightning. He was not in the mood to talk about it unless he had to, he would already be forced to speak of it once they reached their destination, forced to defend himself when he had done the best he could with the circumstances given. He did not wish for it to darken the time he had left with Harry and having the wizard mockingly reuse his own words was not something he appreciated. He did not agree to being criticised at all. He knew what he had done and he wanted to leave it at that.

"I suppose not," Harry snapped right back, then he sighed. A moment of walking in silence later he spoke up again. "Would you be my tour guide then? Tell me about the sights?"

"Better," Loki murmured, "though lacking still. I fear I would bore you were I to narrate the history of the things we are passing. I've told you much about these sights before us, about the landmarks and their history. You recognize this bridge, the waters beneath it, the watch towers, the statues of our former Kings and the Palace that is always part of the skyline."

"That's not completely true, if you don't wish to do it then just say so."

"I'll always indulge you. Why then don't I regale you of some stories? There is still much about my life that you don't know."

"Please go ahead."

"Do you see the ship flying over the bay in the distance?"

Harry looked in the direction Loki was pointing. As a small speck by the far off shore there was a golden vessel. Though it was far both of them could make out fine details of the ship, the elegant curved prow in a design that the Viking's of Midgard had adapted and made their own and wings by the stern.

"I see it," he said.

"I think you will enjoy the chance of flying one, I am sure that you'll take to it with excellence. I myself enjoy flying in them; it is a freedom to only have the deck beneath your feet. Thor though for all that he flies around with that Hammer of his did not take as well to steering a battleship."

"Is that so?" Harry asked amusedly.

"Indeed. The first time we were to leave the class room, so to speak and actually had the opportunity to helm one of them, he managed to loose control completely. It is not a story that is told often, but I remember it well although this was before we'd even lived half a century. He placed the ship's engine in reverse, crashing into several ships that were standing on the docks, wrecking them. He then panicked trying to rectify his mistake, causing his ship to shoot off and the instructor that was onboard with him fell off."

Harry raised a quizzical eyebrow. "I find this hard to believe," he muttered.

"Nevertheless it is true, not one of his finest moments. Next he was soaring out over the sea with the ship I was on who an instructor had taken the helm of racing after him. My instructor was a far better pilot than Thor, but even he couldn't save my brother from his own stupidity. I don't know why, but he was headed towards the Bifrost and about to crash into a pillar, he must have tried to gain height and fly over it to avoid a collision, but he must have turned the rudder the wrong way, because the ship took a nose dive right into the water. It was actually right over there, I believe the wreckage is still there beneath the water. It was a whole decade before anyone could persuade him to step foot on a ship again."

Harry chuckled, and Loki noted smugly that the two guards whose faces he could see clearly were struggling against smiles, their mouth's twitching.

"Do all your stories revolve around Thor making a fool of himself?"

"No, not all of them, some are about me being a genius-"

"So modest," Harry muttered.

"-but stories about Thor doing stupid are some of my favourites," Loki continued without stopping, "and they are so very plentiful and entertaining that it would be a shame to let them fall into oblivion the way he would like."

"So there are more where that came from?"

"Oh, so many more and we have still a long way to go."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN 23rd November 2013:
> 
> I enjoyed writing this chapter a lot. It's great finally being in Asgard. How did you like this chapter being from Loki's and Thor's point of view? How many instances can you spot where I used Thor: The Dark World as inspiration? Whatever you think I'd love to know. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and that I didn't spoil Thor the Dark World for anyone (most of you who will go see it have seen it by now, right?)


	9. The Retellings

As they walked along the Bifrost Loki had ample time to tell Harry additional stories, and the fourth one was something extra though it would en up being the last.

"So what story will you tell me next?" Harry asked a smile firmly in place from the last account of Loki and Thor as young children.

In the story they had run off exploring though they had been told to get ready for a banquet they had to attend that evening as emissaries from several Realms were visiting. Loki had been too agar and they had ended up getting lost; only to at last find their way to the kitchens. There they had hid, fearing a scolding as a lot of time had passed. They had hid in a corner and when one of the guards who had been sent to search for them as was about to discover them, they had climbed atop a high shelf, but it had been rickety and the two boys had fallen off on the other side and into a huge bowl of punch. Some of the liquid had splashed over the edges, but there had been enough to cover them both and just then three servants had taken the bowl to carry it up to the Banquet Hall. Not knowing what to do the princes had stayed submerged for as long as they could, holding their breaths. As long as they could was just long enough from them to shoot out of the punch as the bowl was carried into the Hall. Odin had not been pleased, but ultimately the incident had not been harmful, so he forgave them easily and they had gotten away with a light scolding. Perhaps that was also due to the relief the royal couple had felt at finding that the boys had not come to any harm.

"I think you know this one. Soon after we first met I read a version of it in one of the books about Norse Mythology that Hermione provided for you."

"Oh?"

"Does Thor as a Bride make you recall anything?"

Harry stumbled over his own feet and when he looked up meeting Loki's face a look of absolute incredulity having overcome him. " _That_  story was true?" he said in a voice which was unusually high-pitched.

"In part, yes," the other confirmed, a satisfied smirk spreading over his lips. "Can you believe that one time someone actually stole Mjolnir?"

Harry didn't gape, though it was a near thing. "And  _that_ part that was true? I didn't think that such a feat was possible. Isn't Thor the only one who can lift it?"

"No, only the worthy can wield Mjolnir, and it has not always been so, it was first after the  _wedding_   _incident_  that Odin saw fit to change the Hammer's essence to require certain strengths of character. This was many years ago and it was with admirable stealth that the Giants of one of the Nine Realms managed to steal it. These Giants are the size of Jotuns, and equally as strong, though more humanoid in their looks, with creamy skin and various light hair-colours. Their kind and Asgard has had strained relations for a long time. Though there has never been any right out hostility they have at times chosen to ally themselves with our enemies. Nevertheless the theft of one of our greatest weapons has given them our eternal respect. But at the time it was mainly a cause for great concern."

"I can see that," Harry murmured. "If even half of what I believe about Mjolnir is true it is not a weapon I would like in the hands of a potential enemy."

Loki nodded. "You do know that the situation was handled, much as in the legends of your kin in fact, and yours truly played a large part in making it right, but what I think we should focus on are Thor's dilemma as that is the most amusing part of the story and we are already aware of my superiority."

"And to believe that I for a moment thought that you were being modest," Harry said with a slight shake of his head, the other dark-haired male just smirked.

"Everyone in the palace woke up one morning to hear Thor bellowing in despair. He near razed the palace in his search for his precious Hammer. While he was occupied with upturning every stone and doing his very best to scare the servants senseless with his uncouth behaviour, I went to visit Heimdall. The guardian of the bridge had not seen what had happened, but knowing what to look for he was able to locate Mjolnir and the one who had stolen it. Without bothering anyone I used the Bifrost to travel there, to the palace from which the King of the Giant's Realm ruled his lands, for it was he who had slipped into Asgard. I went there hoping that I'd be able to steel the Hammer back, but I admit to being arrogant. This giant had penetrated all of Asgard's defences, he had avoided detection by both the Allfather and Heimdall, it was he who had managed to steal away with a great treasure from my very own brother's chambers while he lay there sleeping and I, my talents all aside, was unable to trick him."

"This is unexpected," Harry said, peering curiously at Loki.

"A mistake of my youth, I've learnt since then."

"I'd argue that you still suffer from too much pride and arrogance."

"You are referring to New York." Loki's tone grew dark instantly; a smile turned into a scowl, and glittering eyes went dull.

"Surely you cannot think otherwise. It was nothing but arrogant to believe that you could subjugate humanity. You know what we are capable of. You know that we are not all defenceless."

The trickster's face was twisted in a sneer, teeth bared. "I know you and your weaknesses. I know humanity's greed and incapability to appreciate the world that birthed them and each other. You could all benefit from strong leadership."

"You could all?" Harry quoted, anger starting to take over him as well, his eyes blazing and fists clenched, matching the other man's stormy expression. "So you believe that I am weak as well? That I am lesser than you? Should I bow and growl at your feet, my lord?" he said mockingly with a deep and extravagant bow which ended on a jerky motion.

Only the acknowledgement that they had an audience kept Loki from yelling, instead he lowered his voice to a menacing hiss. "Do not misinterpret me and I do not care for your theatrics at this time."

"You're one to talk," Harry muttered sourly as they both knew that Loki had a penchant for melodramatics.

"You are not like them. Your life will not blow over swiftly like a candle flame in the wind. You are strong and I know it. Besides ruling Midgard was never my main goal. What I did, I did for you as I have already explained. All that I have done since I first met you has been for you."

"And you accuse me of misinterpretation!" Harry exclaimed, not having the same reservation about letting the guards hear, at least not as his emotions got the better of him. "I am one of them, Loki! I am altered, yes, but they are my people! They are my kin, my family!" Harry's wand had slipped into his hand and as the company of guards around them looked on he jabbed it under the God of Magic's chin. "They are mine to protect! And once more you have proven that you don't truly care about me, but only about yourself and your needs. You only care about what I can be to you!"

Loki looked like he had been struck, rearing back and halting their procession down the bridge. He stood completely still, face gaining in pallor, almost taking on a blue tinge.

Seeing what his words had done Harry immediately started to apologize, putting the wand away swiftly and moving his hands as if he wished to physically comfort the other. "Loki, I'm sorry," he hurriedly said. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean that. I... I'm so sorry and-"

"You do mean it," Loki said quietly stopping Harry's rant and brushing away the hand Harry had placed on his arm. "I have given you reason to believe this of me. You believe that I do not love you for you, that the only care I have shown was because of what I could gain by our association. That I was loved, that I had friendship and no longer had to be alone. You believe that I've used you for these purposes."

"No," the wizard protested, however it came out sounding weak.

"I cannot blame you for this belief; it is how it started out all things considered. I created the wand, the cloak and the stone in my pursuit of a companion to lessen my desolation. When I met you I did not know you, how could I? I only knew that what I had so long longed for was finally within my reach and that if my experiment had been successful you would be the embodiment of my dreams and aspirations. It was later that this changed. From superficial love and pride in my own success I grew to care for you more than I thought possible and what I had received in the end was better than I could have dreamed. This between us is something I want to protect at all cost and if that makes me a selfish man then so be it. I will freely admit that the world can burn as long as we are allowed to be together. However I know what that would do to you and I will endeavour so that you never have to live through a situation like that. I did give you my word and I will not go back on it. But Harry, you cannot fault me for doing what was necessary to come back to you. It was the price I had to pay. I always believed that it is better to apologize than to ask for permission and I will make it up to you somehow."

"I'm sorry," the younger of the two said again. "I didn't mean to agitate you. I should have known better. I know that this past year has been hard on you and that you've faced many challenges and that you were forced to take hard decisions. I want to blame you for it, believe me I do."

Loki snorted; he had no problem in believing that.

"On some level I still do, but I understand and I know that I will be able to forgive you. Because I still love you despite what has happened, a year apart was not enough to change that and I hope that this won't either. I don't want things to change."

"I love you too," Loki sighed, the anger draining. "I find that I lack control over my emotions and I would appreciate it if…" He sighed again as the guards picked up the pace once more, pulling on the chains that were binding him and forcing him to start walking.

"I'll try to not upset you again," Harry promised, "at least not purposefully. You know that I have a temper too and… This last year's not been easy on me either. Do you think it's a good idea to continue with the story or..?"

"I'll continue. I'm sure remembering Thor's misfortune will have us both smiling in no time. As I was saying I could not approach the Giant King unnoticed. He saw through my illusions as if they were not there and I had to use my so called silver tongue to get out of the situation. I asked for Mjolnir back and luckily he did not reface outright, rather he was agreeable to a trade. He claimed to long have had an eye on a woman named Freya, one of the Vanir living on Asgard since the peace agreement between our two peoples. Freya was and is still considered one of the most beautiful women in all of the Nine Realms and it is no wonder that he desired her. In exchange for Mjolnir he wanted Freya to be his wife. Graciously I accepted his offer and returned to Asgard to relay the news."

"They were not well received?"

"Not in the least. Freya refused profoundly and no man with any wits about him would ever dream of forcing her to do anything she does not please. Thor despaired and went on another rampage, while I, together with Odin and Frigga tried to find a solution like reasonable people. I remember bitterly saying that the Giant was able to see through my illusions and that there would be no use in trying to trick him. Naturally mother, being a woman of practical disposition, knew how we could take advantage of this. While the Giant would be able to see through illusions, this ability would certainly make him arrogant and thus he would not believe that we would try a cruder method to achieve the same thing."

"So?" Harry asked, a smile starting to play on his lips once more as he anticipated the next part of the story.

"So, we decided that Thor would go in Freya's place with me as escort and with the women's help and a spell to restrain Thor, we disguised him. We wanted to shave off his beard, but he refused even bound, screaming like a stung pig until we had to admit defeat in the matter. So we added a veil to the ensemble to cover his face which might have been just as well, no one would ever call Thor a great beauty with or without beard and he certainly does not look like a woman. We put him in a covering dress to match the veil and off we went."

"What colour was the dress?" Harry asked a spark of mischief lighting up his eyes.

"Pink of course," answered a smirking Loki. "Bright pink and deep purple in a combination that was a true eyesore, which I never would have subjugated myself to were it not for Thor's humiliation and the fact that pink is a custom at weddings in Asgard and the Giant's royal colour is purple. The feast to celebrate the wedding was magnificent. Luckily for us our Allies had agreed to provide excuses to not attend the wedding, meaning that except for Thor and I there were only Giants there. Whatever can be said about them they do know how to arrange a wedding. There was splendid music and entertainment and more food than three armies could have eaten."

"That does sound like something."

"We were not there to enjoy ourselves however, we were on a mission and for my part I was determined to see it through without incidents. To give us an edge we had decided to wait until our hosts had indulged in drink, becoming disabled in drunkenness before we would secrete away with the Hammer. The problem was that Thor indulged in drink as well, imbibing fine wines and ales as if he had the thirst of ten men. When drunk my brother likes to eat and he nearly gave us away as the Giant King questioned with kind of woman could eat so much. If it had not been for my ability to talk through most situations he would have ruined it. I assured the Giant that  _Freya_  merely was nervous at the prospect of the wedding night when their union as husband and wife would be solidified. Surely a girl could not be blamed for that, I said. As it were I managed to sneak off, back to the throne room where the Giant had left the Hammer. I then got back to the Feast Hall and hinted at it to Thor, letting him know that he should get away too. The big brute that he is though, he summoned Mjolnir and proceeded to knock out every single one of the wedding guests while I could only watch with increasing exasperation. At least he made a humorous picture as he drunkenly beat around himself clad in a dress."

Harry chuckled at the image provided. "That would have been a sight. Did it harm your relations with the Giants?"

"Yes and no. The man who was King was killed by Thor that day as were his closest kin. The family which usurped the crown was most thankful and as it were we gained an alliance from the whole ordeal."

"Most fortuitous, if a bit ironic."

"Indeed."

"And it was after this that Odin put the spell on the Hammer?"

"Correct, though it is not so much a spell. He was able to change the very essence of the Hammer, persuading the intelligence which it had received at its forging, making it stronger and partly bond to his will. I have not been able to lift it since," the last part was added bitterly.

"That can still change," the wizard said a look of stubborn belief on his face.

"Perhaps," Loki allowed, with a smile of affection, but with a residual hint of self-deprecation.

They continued walking in silence. The tension which had stemmed from their argument had not abated completely even with the story and neither man was keen to risk more hurtful words being spoken. Instead they both put effort into enjoying the scenery and the special atmosphere which existed in Asgard; Loki feeling a continued mix of nostalgia, melancholy and intense bitterness, while Harry continued to be filled with a sense of awe at this ancient and powerful place.

At long last they had walked the entire extent of the Rainbow Bridge that was over open water, passing a great pair of breakwaters and immediately having buildings rising up on either side. The pace was not halted though, the guards escorting them showed no sign of their environment having changed in their pace.

Loki noticed how Harry muttered a spell as they neared the first residential houses of the city, though he could not see what it was for. "What did you do?" he asked.

"I made sure that you are allowed to keep your head high," Harry whispered so that the guards wouldn't hear him. "I created an outward illusion. Anyone looking at you from outside the company will not see the chains; they'll simply think you are being escorted by an honorary guard, not you being a prisoner."

Loki smiled. "Thank you."

"It was nothing."

"But it is. Your small act will allow me to keep my dignity, at least for a while longer. I expect that my supposed death wasn't kept a secret to the populace, however they may not yet be privy of all that have passed."

"Well then, you're welcome."

.:oOo:.

After that Harry stayed silent, and he was thankful that Loki did the same. The time to fill up their time with stories was over, because now they were walking through a story in the making, or so Harry felt. They had entered the city proper and he marvelled at the sights. The buildings were magnificent, true architectural wonders. They were high. The masonry was of the highest quality. When looking at a wall and seeing the stones aligned Harry got the impression that if he tried he wouldn't be able to fit as much as a paper between any of the stones. Everywhere there were decorations, carved figures and patterns in the stone, more often than not these words of art were highlighted in gold.

And the people who were moving through the streets were drawing his attention with equal allure. Superficially they looked human, but Harry could see that they were not; it was in the way that the moved, gracefully, proudly, with ease that only few humans felt or could hope to mimic. The clothes they wore were of course different compared to fashion on earth, though not so foreign as to make him feel uncomfortable. Had he been a muggle the situation might have been another, but Harry was a wizard and he had had ample time to grow used to a more archaic way of dress. Robes on men and women alike did not faze him and the practical leather clothes and sets of armour that were also found in the crowd were not strange, if anything, all of it was beautiful. Rich colours, floral and other patterns inspired by nature, shiny silks and matted wools. Embroideries of animals and symbols of strength in threads of gold and silver, jewellery in the same metals masterfully shaped into links around necks and wrists.

Though he tried to only live in the present and enjoy his first visit to the Realm Eternal, his thoughts strayed to Loki. His musings were repetitive, but felt no less important for it. The man was not the same as he remembered. The mood swings for one. Harry understood that he must have lived through a very trying experience, and he wanted to be understanding, but at the same time there was only so much he would overlook and that was what their short argument had stemmed in and he didn't like it. He did not want to argue and he was afraid that many more arguments would arise between them unless something changed quickly. It was simply inevitable. Then there was the insecurity regarding both of their futures. Loki was to be judged and put to trial and with only the Allfather as the judge and jury nothing was certain.

Loki also believed that Harry would be held accountable for their association and all that entailed. He was uncertain of what his existence would mean. He was an oddity and there was no way of knowing if that would matter to the society he was joining. Loki had also hinted to that a relationship between them would not bee viewed with approval by everyone; this was his main argument for keeping Harry secret all these years. There was no outright hatred for homosexuality, but it was regarded as a bit of an oddity. Flings and partnerships just for the enjoyment were accepted readily as it was agreed that men had needs and in battles there would not always be women at hand, however crude that statement might seem. However when choosing another person to spend the rest of your life with it was expected that the union would be between a man and a woman. Hopefully it would all work out for the best. Harry had to believe that or he might as well give up and spare himself the trouble.

They continued to walk through the city, slowly nearing the palace and their destination. Harry glanced over at his companion ever so often and each time he could have sworn that Loki was about to say something only to change his mind.

As the road the were walking on passed through a large park filled with green plants, freshly smelling grass and blooming trees, Loki at last found the courage to speak up, but he was interrupted nearly right away.

"Harry, I," he had just said as Thor landed in front of them, wind whipping about him.

"I bring news," the tall blond said, never noticing that he had interrupted anything, although his brother's fierce glance spoke more than a thousand words.

"Well then," Loki sneered, "you best regale them at once; we could not have you wait for our attention a minute longer."

Thor frowned, but did not remark on the harsh treatment. "Mother is on our side. She will be your best allay when speaking with father."

"But Odin does not agree," Harry concluded, looking worried on Loki's behalf.

"No, he does not," Thor confirmed reluctantly. "However I believe that he is willing to give you a change as long as you do not agitate him. Show remorse, Loki. Acknowledge to him that you have been in the wrong, and you shall have a merciful sentence."

"A merciful sentence?" Loki chuckled dryly. "Now that is a relief. All I have to do to get the Allfather's mercy is to lie; now that should not be a problem. I'll lie and say that I regret everything and then I'll be locked away in my room instead of the dungeon, how very pleasant."

"Loki," Harry said, his voice neutral.

"I am the God of Lies am I not, Harry?"

"You are more than that. Please show it. You can be worthy." The wizard looked pointedly at Mjolnir and Loki's lips thinned as he followed his gaze.

"At what cost?" he asked.

"At the cost of honesty to yourself."

"You believe that you know me so well?"

"I do."

Squaring his shoulders Loki looked Harry in the eyes. "I make no promises, as I am not certain that they will be kept, but I shall try." The  _for you_ , went unsaid though it was still noticeable in its absence. "With that said I wan to discuss something I find direr than my impending incarceration." Harry glared as Loki so flippantly spoke of getting thrown in another prison cell. "Thor, what is to become of Harry?"

"I was told that he was being escorted to the healers and father sent me to join him there, though as I could see that you had not yet arrived, I joined you here."

"Blast!" Loki cursed.

"Why is that bad?" Harry asked, and Thor seemed to share in his puzzlement.

"It means that Odin does not believe that you are what we say. He wants to make sure, and anything which marks you as different will surely be used against you."

"Brother, surely you cannot believe that father would-"

"I believe much about that man, Thor! And being weak willed and overly polite are not things I would credit him with. I ma not like him, but he is a leader and he takes his duty very seriously. He will not stand for a threat walking in your midst and that he wants the healers to examine Harry proves that that is what he believes Harry to be, for many reasons. He will not stand for being at a disadvantage. A Midgardian proverb says that knowledge is power and that is a philosophy Odin swears by. He will find out Harry's secrets and weaknesses and if need be he will not hesitate to use that knowledge against us."

Thor nodded slowly. "You may be right in this."

"Of course I am right. It is what I would have done. It is what any ruler with a brain within his skull would have done. You do not allow a potential enemy do whatever he pleases within your Realm. What  _bothers_ me," Loki delayed a bit before saying bothers, having Harry believe that what the world would have been  _fear_ were it not for the man's pride, "is that with the knowledge he will gain by putting Harry in the soul forge is the knowledge to break him, to take him apart and make him less than he was before my interference."

"And why would he do this, brother?"

"He might not do it, but that he is able is enough to give him the leverage to manipulate and threaten me. He surely knows the importance Harry holds for me and he will use it to the best of his ability. He would use Harry to have me make promises that I would rather not and for other purposes of which I cannot be certain. They are part of Asgard's dark past, and while this is a subject I have been interested in for obvious reasons the material has remained beyond my reach."

"What are you speaking of?"

"Of Harry's ancestors, Thor. Something happened that made the advanced civilisation of long ago crumble and disappear and from what I have been able to gather it had everything to do with the relations they had with us."

"You have not told me this before," interjected Harry.

"I did not know as much before and I did not wish to worry you if unwarranted. During my brief time as King I managed to get access to some of the last documents remaining which record what happened, and that time was not nearly enough for me to get the full story."

"This is troubling," Thor said solemnly, "but it can hardly be of any concern anymore."

"I would not be so sure that the Allfather agrees with you. Until you learned of Harry I and he were the only one who knew that magic still existed on Earth. He was unaware of my knowledge and it was a nonissue. That is no longer so. Taking your new allies into concern," Loki looked most unwilling to be saying anything kind about the Avengers or humans in general, "as well as Harry's people, the power balance is shifting. Humanity is becoming strong again and as the leader of Asgard, the sovereign realm, Odin will have to prepare for any eventualities. If what I have done can be done again, the could suddenly be a whole people with the same longlivity and powers as us, people who have different technologies, evolved from uncountable years of having to advance technologically to survive and with the disposition to continue to evolve. The advancement seen in technology on Midgard this last century rivals nothing else in the nine realms, even I can admit to it."

"My Prince," the commander of the guards said, approaching Thor.

"Yes?"

"We need to move on. The Allfather is expecting us and the prisoner."

The blond jutted out his jaw. "You will not call my brother such in my presence. He deserves better."

The guard bowed, "of course, my Prince. My apologies."

"That was unnecessary," Loki muttered, never one to accept any kindness from his brother.

"Allow me to be the judge of that. You can move out," he said to the guards and so they began to walk, forcing Loki to move as well. Thor however did not just stand idly watching them walk away, he gestured for Harry to follow and so they continued on in Loki's company.

"I have more to tell you both. It was decided that your request to be put through the trails is to be accepted, Jameson."

"Of all the stupid things," Loki muttered, narrowing his eyes at Harry. "Do not venture to tell me that you actually requested to go through a rite of passage."

"I did," Harry said stubbornly.

"Why would you do that?"

"If I am to speak for you I have to be accepted as one of you."

"You will never-"

"Brother," Thor warned.

"Are you saying what I think you are saying?" Harry asked in a dangerous tone and magic began to crackle around him, akin to how lighting would sometimes be summoned to Thor when he lost control of his temper.

"People are unforgiving," Loki said, proving his own words. "They do not see beyond what they want to see. And you will always be regarded as an outsider."

"But in the eyes of the law-"

"Odin is the law and as long as that is true it will not matter what you do, he will see you as an extension of me, and to him whatever little I was has been spent."

"Son of James," Thor said.

"Yes, my Lord?" Harry said, just as much to defer to his liege as to oppose Loki.

"Are you able to create a barrier which will stop anyone from overhearing what we say?"

"Yes."

"Do so."

"My Prince, I have to protest-" one of the guards said.

"And you have done so," Thor interrupted impatiently. "Harry, the barrier."

Nodding, Harry brought out his wand and cast the muffliato spell, believing that it would be sufficient for their needs. "It's done."

"These words were uncalled for, brother. Father is not so unjust. He will surely value Harry once he is given a chance, for that is what this is. Your concerns regarding the healers may be justified, but Father asked me to assess your companion and if you cannot trust in him, then I ask you to trust me and that I will do everything in my power to make sure that justice is served."

Loki glowered as his brother looked unblinkingly at him with earnest blue eyes. "Fine!" he eventually snapped. "I'll give you the benefit of doubt and I'll trust that you look after Harry even after the evaluation is complete. Odin will try to drive a wedge between us and you shall not let him."

"I will do as you ask."

"And what am I? Just a part of the scenery?" Harry said. "I will not myself be manipulated so easily. I may have asked for the trails to earn a place among you, but I am also an emissary of Earth and as such I will bow to no one."

Now Loki smirked, pleased. "I am counting on it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN 19th Mars 2014
> 
> I can't believe how long this took me, but I've not been feeling like writing much as of late, and I don't know why. The few things I have written have either been completely spontaneous or gruelling work to complete. One part of the blame is the "marriage story" which caused me some trouble as I wanted to keep to Norse mythology but struggled with how to incorporate it with marvel, but you got a new chapter and hopefully I've started a trend that will continue i.e. getting me back into writing.
> 
> Please let me know what you thought and suggest what you would like to see later on in this story, flashbacks, stories, about what's going on in Asgard and the past history with Magical humans and Asgardians. And any suggestions on titles for the chapters? They all start with "The R" the rest is undecided. If any of you are wishing for a chapter called "The Romance" you'll have to wait, it may just come though. Thanks for reading!
> 
> PS. I read through and edited the past eight parts, 98 mistakes removed! (Yes I counted) And this is the longest chapter so far!


	10. The Ruling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SPOILIER ALERT! To the people who have yet to see Thor: The Dark World. From here on out I will use the story of the film for more than just drawing inspiration of how Asgard looks and how the characters act. You have been warned.

Loki walked into the Throne Hall, alone now except for the guards holding the chains that spread out from him like the spokes of a wheel. He had separated from Thor and Harry once they entered the palace. They had to go to the healers as per Odin's request and he had been taken a different route towards the place where he would hear his judgement. They had only said a short goodbye as the Commanding Officer hadn't allowed anymore even with Thor starring him down.

Loki didn't like separating from Harry, but he accepted it as inevitable. He hadn't shared his fears with Harry, but he expected that it would be a long time before they would see each other again and that also accounted for a scenario where he told Odin exactly what he wanted to hear. He had chosen not to say anything as there were would be no use in worrying Harry now that he had already made the decision to come to Asgard. The dice had been cast.

His dark mood was not uplifted by the grandeur of the Throne Hall which gleamed excessively of gold showing off the power and might of Asgard to all who approached its King. It was ostentatious and frankly a bit insipid. Loki was not all that impressed by it or the imaged the Allfather made. Sitting atop the throne with sunlight shining through the intricate patterns of the circular structure behind the throne and the tall windows further above, the King melted into the background and he looked older than he had ever done before as if an age had passed since they last spoke face to face in the Vault.

As they approached the dais he reverted his eyes from Odin and instead found Frigga with his gaze, trying to deduce what she thought of it all. What he saw in her eyes was hard to determine. He thought he could see that she was glad to see him, though still worried regarding what would happen next and disapproving of his actions on Midgard.

"Loki," she said softly, drinking him in with her blue eyes, looking so much like a mother who had at long last found her child again that Loki felt himself mellow. He couldn't be outright cruel to her.

Adopting a genial expression as to not reveal his conflicting emotions he answered in a light tone. "Hello, mother. Have I made you proud?"

"Please take this seriously," she admonished, possibly seeing right through him. She had a way of doing that. She knew him better than anyone, save possibly Harry.

"Oh, really? That is what you have to say to me after a year apart? After believing me dead?"

"Please," she repeated steadily.

He chuckled.

"This is not the time for mischief, Loki."

"Can you not see the fun in this situation?" He grinned wryly, rattling the chains deliberately, the sound of metal on metal spreading through the chamber.

"No, I do not enjoy seeing my son in chains. I am asking you to not make this worse. It is unnecessary and you do not only have yourself to think about now."

Loki's countenance immediately turned grim at that and he allowed his hands to fall. "Yes," he murmured, gaze having dropped to the floor. "And I suppose _that_  in of itself made it worse already."

"It doesn't have to be. This can be something good. I believe that it is."

"That depends on whose perspective you are viewing it from and if the one viewing will allow themselves to see without any bias. My experience in the matter has only been good and it is my sincere hope that it can continue to be so. It pleases me that you should see thing the same way as I, or that you will at the very least delay judgment until you have seen what this implies for yourself. I am even grudgingly grateful for Thor's support. But before I get any hopes up and begin to believe that this indeed can be something good I need to hear those words from the one that will decide our fates and I do not expect to hear them from him."

"You see?" Frigga said to the Allfather seated atop his throne observing mother and son silently, "there is more to this. The man from Midgard may be a blessing in disguise."

"Do not allow yourself to nurture any false hope," the King cautioned coldly.

"I am not," answered Frigga with certainty, "this can be a good thing if we allow it to be." It was an urging.

"Perhaps." He did not seem to care about his wife's council. "You may remain if you wish, but do not interrupt. If you do I will have you escorted away."

Frigga nodded her head in acquiesce and backed away to the side.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" Odin asked, addressing Loki directly for the first time.

He shrugged, the chains rattling. "What is there to say? You will have judged me already. When a person is taken in for a crime in Midgard they are sometimes told that anything they say may be used against them, I know you will do the same which is why I may as well keep my silence."

"Do you at all understand the gravity of your actions? People have died; here, on Earth and all over the Nine Realms as a consequence of what you have done. Everywhere you go follows ruin, war and death. The universe does not revolve around you and your whims."

Loki let out a small amused snort and despite having proclaimed that he would say nothing he had to respond. "From all this fuss you are making and the grand speech, one might think that it does."

Odin did not share his amusement. "You had a privileged position, a position of power. You have proven that you were ill suited for the responsibilities that come with belonging to Asgard's royal house. I reiterate; the universe does not revolve around you. If the cosmos is a pond of water then every being in it is a stone tossed, breaking the surface and creating ripples that spread and impacts others. Through your relation to me and your title as Prince the waves you create are large. I had believed that you were aware of this and you would be level-headed enough to not let your emotions run away with you. I was wrong and I am disappointed. What I feel is not important however, if you can justify your actions to my satisfaction and understand that you have done wrong is much more important. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Loki did not want to admit it to anyone, least of all himself, but hearing Odin say that he was disappointed in him was like receiving a punch to the gut, the air in his lungs being forcefully expelled. Harry and the future they could have together had been his main motivation, but more than that he had always looked for Odin's approval and even now when he did not acknowledge the man as his father it hurt. It made his hate flare up and all his caution was thrown into the wind. "I only proceeded to take the place in this universe that I had been moulded for. The place I was born to hold, that was my right had not both my fathers cast me aside," he said snidely, walking a few steps forward pulling the guards with him as the chains stretched.

"You told Thor and I that we were born to be Kings," he continued. If I could not have the Throne of Asgard I had to find another way to claim my birthright. Midgard was a natural choice. The mortals are week and in desperate need of strong leadership, if not they will end up destroying themselves. I would have ruled them as a benevolent god. Just like you."

Odin's face was statuesque, unchanging and grim, his one eye cold. "That is how you see it?"

"How else could I possibly see it?"

"I took you in. I raised you as my own. Where did I go wrong for you to hate me so?"

The hate Loki was feeling grew stronger. Odin must know and he was playing ignorant. "You did it all with an ulterior motive. Steeling away an unwanted child was not an act of mercy. You wanted to use me to bargain for peace."

"Is that such a bad thing? Is the aspiration of peace something which should inspire hate?"

"It is wrong when a child is concerned. A child should only be accepted if the guardian has the intent to care for, nurture and raise the child to the best of their ability, not if the intent is to use it as a political tool."

"You would rather have seen me leaving you for death? You would have preferred it if you had been left on a frozen rock with no one to care for you?"

At this Loki had no other option than to stay mute. He did not wish that.

"This isn't a conversation is not about what happened so long ago," the Allfather declared. "This is an interrogation where you have the option to explain your recent actions. Is it truly all because you desire a throne? If it were not for our guest I would have believed so. Tell me Loki, what more is there?"

At the reminder of Harry, Loki swallowed some of his pride, trying to reign in his anger and resentment. He had to try. He had promised that he would try, if not succeed. "What I did, I did because I want Asgard to become better, more equal, more understanding of others and those who are different. In our might we have become self-assured and arrogant. Our society has become stagnant. We need to evolve as the world around us does. As for my timing; Thor needed to be kept away from the throne, had he not forced my hand I would have been content to wait, and perhaps I would have been content with him as my King if I knew he would heed my council. If you call accuse me of not being level-headed you should accuse him of the same. You saw what he did. He brought war down upon us." It was always easy to revert to criticising Thor. His gratefulness for the other's assistance only extended so far.

"Thor has been punished for his actions."

"And now it's my turn?"

"Yes. Do you not feel any regret over what you have done, the lives you have taken and the many more which would have been lost had you not been stopped?"

"Collateral damage. Change comes with a price. The end justifies the means. If the quality of life can be improved for millions; what does the premature ending of a few hundred- or thousand matter? It is the price that must be paid."

"What of your allies? Would they agree with you? Or would you say that their ends are in conflict with yours?"

Loki stiffened, feeling like as small boy being chastised for playing with the children of unsuitable people, the spawns of criminals running around in the mud and playing at war and ruin. He did indeed feel some guilt over this matter. He hadn't wanted to cooperate with the Other, the servant of Thanos or the Titan himself. He hadn't wanted to deliver the Tesseract into their hands. He feared them and what would happened if they reached their goals. "I did what I had to," he withheld. He believed that he had. He knew that he had. He hadn't had any other choice. He did what he had to do to return. The price in this case might have been too high. Now that he hadn't paid it he didn't know how much it mattered.

"Once more a consequence of an ill thought action."

Now he sneered. Odin was implying that he shouldn't have let go of Gugnir the day the Bifrost was destroyed.

"This can be forgiven as it has given us valuable warning."

Loki looked back up at Odin, surprised. "What?" he asked in a clipped tone.

"Your foray into unknown corners of the universe has alerted us to that Thanos seeks the Tesseract. It is likely that he wishes to reclaim the infinity gauntlet and its gems. If he is gathering his strengths so can we. Now we can prepare."

"You forgive me this?" Loki was incredulous. It was ludicrous. It was enough to draw away his indignation at the implication that his conversation with Harry had been listened to. "You forgive me for my choice of allies as it has given you information you deem valuable?"

"Yes. I too know that everything comes with a price and it might be that you were charged a high cost, and yet it may have been an acceptable price in the scheme of what might come. I could oversee all that which we have spoken of because of this. However you have done more. Something far more severe. Something that affects this Realm and out future in a very direct and possibly painful way."

Odin rose from his seat. "You have reopened a near forgotten wound and I fear that you have no idea what it means. When it comes to Harry Potter son of James nothing is certain. What you started in him may have been to the planting of a seed which once before grew to become the destruction of one realm, nearly two."

Odin's dark tone made Loki fear for Harry. There was something going unsaid. "Secrets," he said stiffly, hiding his concern. "You've hidden what happened. How was I supposed to know that my actions would draw your ire when everything that could have told me so has been hidden? What is this dark past that you fear so? What happened on Midgard?"

"It is only for the ruler of Asgard to know."

The answer was irritatingly evasive, but Loki knew that he wouldn't be told more. He hoped that Thor, Harry and his mother would be able to learn more. If the libraries couldn't tell them what was needed there must be someone still alive who remembered. Odin thought that Harry was dangerous, that he represented a nightmare from his childhood. This fear was dangerous even if Harry might not be.

Loki would never believe that Harry could pose a threat to the two realms he was born of. The man had power, but his heart would never allow him to do anything that would lead to their ruin. If the man had been his exact mirror image he might have seen a cause for concern, but Harry was better than him. "What do you plan to do with him?"

"For now I will observe. Perhaps Frigga is right and this can be turned to something good. Harry Potter will be observed. If all is as you believe. If all that has happened is that you've awoken his Asgardian blood he will be allowed to live as one of us."

"And if not?"

"If not, then I will act accordingly."

"You lied to Thor then, when you said that he would evaluate Harry, that Harry would be given a chance to prove himself."

"I did not tell any outright lies. If you are correct, which you must believe that you are, the Midgardian has nothing to fear from me. If your beliefs regarding him proves true, so will my words be."

"Would you kill him?"

"I will if I have to."

"Killing him will bring you war as sure as any ghost you fear. The magical people of earth see him as a leader and he has other powerful allies. They would not look kindly on his death by your hands. They would declare war."

"So quick you are to proclaim them as powerful. One moment you justify your actions by saying that they are weak and in the next you threaten me with them. What is the truth?"

"Why cannot both be true?" Both were true. He had come to realise that. His preconceived knowledge proved true; the masses were sheep, weak, ignorant, conceited and dumb. Then he had learned that there were people who rose above the rest. Meeting Harry had opened his eyes to this truth. The extraordinary individuals found on Earth could when banding together could pose a threat even to Asgard. It does not take millions to create an army.

Odin stood silent, regarding him. A minute passed. Another. And another. Then silence was broken as the Allfather beat the end of his spear against the dais twice. "I've decided your sentence, Loki Laufeyson."

It was another hit to the gut. Another rejection. Another reason for resentment and hate.

"You will be kept in the dungeons. You are stripped of your titles. Your magic will remain locked away. You shall have no visitors. This is your future until I have gained more clarity regarding this situation. Pray that the outcome is favourable." He banged the spear into the ground once more. Two low notes ringing out, sealing the judgement.

"My King," the Queen stepped forth.

"What did I say?" Odin was without sympathy. "Escort her away."

"This isn't right!" she said even as two moved to enclose her, jerking away her arm as a hand was placed on it. "Locking him away will solve nothing! He is our son!"

"He is not mine. He has rejected me and I do the same. Escort the Queen away from my sight."

The guards forced Frigga to walk, brining her towards a side door. She struggled against them for a moment, giving Loki a lingering glance. "Do not give up hope," she told him, and then she went with the guards her head held high.

"Is this how it ends? Am I to rot away in the dungeons for mistakes that are as much mine as yours? Will you imprison or kill my companion? A man who has done no wrong. And Thor, is he to be rewarded with the throne?"

"Thor may well become king one day. Once the Bifrost is repaired he will start cleaning up the mess you made a year ago, and I shall endeavour to repair the other damage you have done. I have nothing more to say to you this day. Take him away."

The Allfather sat back down, having nothing further to say. Loki had nothing to say either. If ever there had been a chance of reconciliation between them, it was gone now. He averted his gaze and began to walk away with needing to be prompted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN 28th April 2014
> 
> I know the chapter is a bit short, but I thought I could end it here and post it so that you at least get something since I've taken so long to get to this point. And it's not my shortest chapter in this story, so there.
> 
> I hope nobody thought I rehashed the scene from Loki's Trail too much. I used a few lines (I couldn't help myself, there are some good lines) but I think I added and changed enough to make it okay. I think this story is growing a bit dark. Oh my. I hope I haven't created a plot hole that I won't be able to crawl out of. Hopefully I'll be able to make it work and become epic.
> 
> As always I'd love to hear what you thought and if there is anything at all that you would like to see in this story tell me and it just might happen.


End file.
